Netherlands assistant manager Ruud Gullit has backed France to win this summer's World Cup in Russia.
France reached the final as hosts at Euro 2016 and boast a number of the world's top players in their ranks, including the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Paul Pogba, Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele.
Netherlands will not be at the tournament having failed to qualify for only the second time since 1986, and Gullit believes that the home side's current situation is down to their brightest talents moving abroad at a young age.
"[Holland's failure to qualify is] a disappointment of course, we lost out on goal difference - that's always hard to take, but it is what it is," he told Sports Mole at the Laureus World Sports Awards.
"The most difficult part is kids at 15, 16 go abroad and then we don't see them. They haven't played any first-team football, examples of [Karim] Rekik, they haven't played, [Nathan] Ake - one year you play, one year you don't play. It's a pity for these players. So we have to cope with that."
When asked who he was backing to lift the trophy, Gullit added: "I'm with France, I like them very much."
Gullit also backed former club Chelsea to overcome their recent poor form and "find the right solution".
Barney Corkhill
