Robert Pires wants to see France take on England at Euro 2020

Gareth Southgate

Robert Pires is hoping that France and England will be drawn alongside each other at Euro 2020.

Both teams booked their place at next summer's finals during the recent international break.

However, France dropped five points during the qualification process and will therefore be in Pot 2 for Saturday's draw in Bucharest.

That means the world champions could be forced to face one of Belgium, England, Spain, Italy or Germany in the group stage of the 16th edition of the European Championship.

And Pires, who won 79 caps for Les Bleus between 1996 and 2004, wants to see Didier Deschamps' side lock horns England next summer.

"What is for sure is that we are going to draw a big team because unfortunately we are in Pot 2," he told Omnisport at the Champions League Trophy Tour driven by Nissan.

"Which one would I like to play against? France vs England would be nice. I think that we arre strong but the English are having a renaissance and [Gareth] Southgate has built a good team, quite young, with a bit of experience and they can be a good surprise during the next Euros. 

"And as you know the final is in London so they will be motivated."

Pires does not want to see France paired with Spain, who he believes will be a major threat at the 24-team competition, which will be held across the continent to celebrate UEFA's 60-year anniversary.

"The team to avoid is always Spain," added the former Arsenal winger. "They remain very strong, they are very skilled and they cause us problems every time."

Pires won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 with France, an achievement that was replicated by Spain, who won the 2010 World Cup as well as two European Championships in 2008 and 2012.

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Greg Lea

Greg Lea is a freelance football journalist who's filled in wherever FourFourTwo needs him since 2014. He became a Crystal Palace fan after watching a 1-0 loss to Port Vale in 1998, and once got on the scoresheet in a primary school game against Wilfried Zaha's Whitehorse Manor (an own goal in an 8-0 defeat).