Spain are strong favourites to win the World Cup but Villa believes England will do well in South Africa.
“Yes, England are good enough to win the World Cup,” Villa told The Sun.
“Absolutely. They are a bit like Spain, aren’t they?
“The fact is, they have always had good teams and they have found it difficult in the big competitions. But the day will come, won’t it?
“I think they have a perfect generation to make it to the final – and they will surely be one of the teams to beat.”
He added: “Individually, England have some of the best players – in defence, midfield as well as attack.
“They have a great manager and a team that can perfectly well reach the final.
“I like a lot of their players but this season I would pick out Wayne Rooney.
“Frank Lampard also had a marvellous season and I have a special kind of admiration for Steven Gerrard.”