Former England striker and Ballon d'Or winner Michael Owen praised the raw enthusiasm of China's grassroots football scene during CGTN Sports Scene's latest "Talk Sports" interview, following a recent visit to Rongjiang County, Guizhou Province.

Participating in a celebrated Village Super League match and visiting local school programs, Owen stated that he was blown away by the local community's sporting culture.

"I'd heard a lot about this area and the village football teams and I was invited to come and see it for myself," the retired forward said. "We see famous footballers playing in leagues and tournaments all over the world ... but what's truly captivating here is the grassroots passion – so many teams taking part purely out of love for the game."

Owen noted that his deep connection with Chinese football fans dates back nearly three decades, anchored by his iconic individual goal against Argentina at the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

"If you walk around China and speak to people aged 35 to 40 and over, they'll all mention that goal against Argentina," he reflected. "It's the one goal that changed my life – not on the pitch, because on the pitch it's just my job, my office. But off the pitch, it changed how everyone saw me. Suddenly I was a world name."

Turning his attention to the current edition of the World Cup, Owen rated England's Group L campaign an "eight out of ten so far," after the team earned four points from its first two matches. Following an impressive 4-2 opening win against Croatia, the Three Lions played out a tougher 0-0 draw with Ghana.

"If you'd told England before the tournament that they'd have four points after two games, with Panama still to come, they'd have taken that," the 46-year-old explained. "They're virtually guaranteed to progress to the knockout stages ... Overall, though, I think we should be pleased with four points and start looking forward to what comes next."

With an eye on the knockout rounds, Owen backed tournament favorite France to lift the trophy. "I wouldn't be surprised if we see the same final as four years ago – France against Argentina," he said.

The legendary striker also pointed to Germany as a strong contender and highlighted the USA as a dangerous side due to its home field advantage. "The USA could go far – they're hosts, used to the conditions, very fit and have local support behind them," he concluded.