LONDON, Dec 29 (Reuters) - English football and the national team would benefit from a mid-season winter break, according to Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson.

Only the English among the leading European leaguesdoes not go into recess from late December to mid or late January.

Ferguson, quoted in The Sunday Times newspaper, said Germany had reached the 2002 World Cup final in Japan thanks in part to their league's mid-season break.

'You saw how Germany went into the World Cup, one of the poorest German teams of all time, and yet they got to the final. You have to say their break helped them,' Ferguson said.

Ferguson, a Scot, also pointed out that World Cup winners Brazil had a majority of players based in Europe with Italian, Spanish and German clubs.

'Without question I think it would be very difficult for an England team to win the World Cup given the seasons we now have,' he said.

There have been numerous calls in recent seasons for a break in England where there is traditionally a busy league programme during the Christmas and New Year festivities.