Rafa Honigstein

Well, I mean, a standout team is an easy answer because I think we knew from way before the World Cup started that France are going to be really hard to beat.

And the amazing thing with them is, as a team, they can play fairly ordinary and still win absolutely at a canter, and you think they're absolutely untouchable.

I mean, nothing in the game itself told you that this France team are particularly exciting.

But then you have two or three guys just doing stuff.

And if the two or three guys are not doing stuff, there's another two or three guys that can come on and do the same stuff.

You just cannot touch them.

They're on a different level completely.

So, yeah, standout team for me, definitely France.

England, I was really impressed with against Croatia.

You know, England, again, have a history of...

being really dull and functional at the group stage in recent seasons, very competent, unlike the Germans.

I think there was an argument that they sort of became the new Germans in a way, being very... Efficient.

Efficient and, you know, just doing enough to go through, but then perhaps not quite getting over the line.

This England team looked very exciting, especially the second half, really expensive and a joy to watch.

So those two sides, as we knew, I think, before the tournament...

among the top contenders i'm really conflicted about england because traditionally i used to enjoy them not not doing very well yeah we understand um now i i don't know because harry kane plays for bayern munich which is a team that's fairly close to my heart so i want him to do well uh thomas tuchel is there i don't know how i feel about that it's a bit strange for me to see an england manager as well who is german and who talks about singing the anthem uh of all things uh

Very, very odd.

Yeah.

But they're a likable team, I feel.

There's no... You don't have the same kind of, dare I say, arrogance or entitlement that used to be a mark of previous England sides.