Two out of three say Argentina will win World Cup

June 1, 2002

BUENOS AIRES, June 1 (AFP) -- Two out of every three Argentinians confidently expect their national team to win the World Cup, according to a survey carried out here.

If Argentina are not crowned world champions in the June 30 final in Yokohama, 17 percent expected Brazil to take the honour followed by Uruguay, Italy and Spain.

The survey carried out by the Ibope-OPSM consultancy asked 600 people their thoughts on the 32-team tournament and its likely champions. Only five percent were definite in their opinion that the Argentinians would not be successful while 32 percent said that England would be the team they would least like to see lift the World Cup.

Argentina, world champions in 1978 and 1986, kick off their 2002 campaign against Nigeria in Ibaraki on Sunday while England and Sweden, who make up Group F, clash in Saitama.

England and Argentina will meet each other in Sapporo on June 7.