The history of the Maurice Revello tournament

Previously known as the Toulon tournament, the Maurice Revello Tournament is gearing up for its 51st edition this summer - we take a look at the history of one of the most prestigious youth friendly tournaments in the world, and at the Ligue 1 McDonald's players involved with the France U20 group heading down to the South of France.

Historically speaking, the Maurice Revello Tournament is drenched in footballing history. Around 1700 future international players once represented their nations in the tournament - among them future Ballon D'Or and European cup winners. From Thierry Henry who played in the 1997 and 2004 editions of the tournament, to England's Alan Shearer who scored seven times in the 1991 edition with the Three Lions.

A conveyor belt of talent

Just a look at the named players of the tournament, and a wide range of Ligue 1 talent can be immediately spotted: David Ginola (1987), Florian Maurice (1993), Vikash Dhorasoo (1995), Juan Román Riquelme (1998), Jacques Faty (2006), Kevin Gameiro (2007) and even James Rodriguez (2011).

Notable alumni also include Cristiano Ronaldo, who participated in 2003 with Sporting CP; Zinédine Zidane, who played in 1991 representing AS Cannes; and Thierry Henry, who featured in the 1997 edition with AS Monaco.

In recent editions, the tournament has seen a variety of winners from different continents. For instance, in 2024, Ukraine clinched their first title by defeating Ivory Coast 5–4 in a penalty shootout after a 2–2 draw in the final. The 2023 edition saw Panama emerge victorious, securing their maiden title with a 4–1 win over Mexico in the final. France, the host nation, has been particularly successful, winning their 13th title in 2022 by overcoming Venezuela 2–1 in the final.