Spain playmaker Xabi Alonso has expressed his belief that England and France both have a chance of winning the upcoming European Championships.

Both sides are in Group D and face each other in their first game on June 11 in Donetsk.

Real Madrid's Alonso, who is likely to feature for favourites Spain, said: "France and England are in that bunch of teams who are capable of going far.

"They are part of that group because of the players they have and their respective histories.

"They have this competitive instinct and even if they aren't talked about much with respect to this competition, they are more than capable of hitting their target."

Spain are in Group C alongside 2006 world champions Italy, Croatia and the Republic of Ireland. They face the Italians in their opener on June 10.