JOHANNESBURG, (Reuters) – Former World Cup winners  Patrick Vieira and Geoff Hurst have picked Spain as their team  to win the tournament being hosted for the first time on African  soil.

Hurst, who scored a hat-trick when England won the 1966  World Cup final at home, and former French captain Vieira, who  helped hosts France to victory in 1998, both said Spain had  shown the best form in the run-up to the tournament which begins  in South Africa today.

“The way they qualified for the World Cup was really easy  … they scored so many goals, they didn’t concede so much,”  Senegalese-born Vieira told Reuters on Thursday.

Hurst said the fact Spain could leave midfielder Cesc  Fabregas on the bench in recent friendlies demonstrated the  squad’s strength and depth.

“Cesc Fabregas … is a magnificent player and … on some  of the lead up games he hasn’t even started the game so it shows  you how strong Spain are,” Hurst told reporters.

Hurst said Brazil should not be discounted and England, with  manager Fabio Capello at the helm, should at least get to the  semi-finals.

“Our half of the draw is quite favourable — I’d be very  disappointed … if we don’t get at the very least into the  semi-final. We’re quite capable of that,” he said.

Both former players also agreed host nation South Africa  would be under intense pressure to start with a victory when  they kick off the World Cup finals today against Mexico.

“The first game will be really tough for them and hopefully  if they start with a win that will give them confidence, that  will give them belief and you never know where they can go so  they have to enjoy it,” Vieira said.