Toulon Tournament 2019: Dates, Schedule, Teams, Preview and More

The prestigious Toulon Tournament gets under way again on Saturday, with England seeking to defend the title they won a year ago.

The Three Lions will get the showpiece in France started, when their under-20 outfit takes on Japan's under-22 team. Manager Paul Simpson has picked a strong squad once again, with a number of the nation's best young prospects seeking to impress in the competition.

England are unlikely to have things their own way, though, as teams from France, Brazil and Portugal will likely provide fierce competition for the title.

Schedule

Group A 

Saturday, June 1—2:05 p.m.—England vs. Japan

Saturday, June 1—4:30 p.m.—Portugal vs. Chile

Tuesday, June 4—3:05 p.m.—Japan vs. Chile

Tuesday, June 4—6 p.m.—England vs. Portugal

Friday, June 7—4:05 p.m.—Portugal vs. Japan

Friday, June 7—7:30 p.m.—Chile vs. England

Group B

Sunday, June 2—2:30 p.m.—France vs. Qatar

Sunday, June 2—6 p.m.—Brazil vs. Guatemala

Wednesday, June 5—4 p.m.—Qatar vs. Guatemala

Wednesday, June 5—6:30 p.m.—France vs. Brazil

Saturday, June 8—2 p.m.—France vs. Guatemala

Saturday, June 8—4:30 p.m.—Brazil vs. Qatar

Group C

Monday, June 3—2:30 p.m.—China vs. Republic of Ireland

Monday, June 3—6 p.m.—Mexico vs. Bahrain

Thursday, June 6—4 p.m.—China vs. Bahrain

Thursday, June 6—6:30 p.m.—Republic of Ireland vs.Mexico

Sunday, June 9—2 p.m.—Bahrain vs. Republic of Ireland

Sunday, June 9—4:30 p.m.—Mexico vs. China

Preview

For England, a lot of the nation's elite young players are involved with the senior squad for the UEFA Nations League or the UEFA European Under-21 Championships. But the fact there are so many exciting names among this group is testament to their depth.

Arsenal supporters are likely to take a special interest in the matches involving the Three Lions, with Joe Willock and Eddie Nketiah representing two of the team's most exciting attacking players.

James Benge of Football.London said he would like to see some younger faces in the Arsenal squad next season following their UEFA Europa League final defeat to Chelsea on Wednesday:

Oliver Holt of the Mail on Sunday said he's expecting Willock to develop into an exciting midfield option for the Gunners:

In defence, one player to watch is Reece James, who could push for a position in the Chelsea first team next season following a stellar year on loan at Wigan Athletic in the Championship.

The 19-year-old took to second-tier football with ease, and while his team loitered in the lower reaches of the table, James was a menacing presence from full-back. WhoScored.com noted that when he gets forward, his delivery tends to be excellent:

Mexico, the runners-up a year ago, will be strong again. While they have not called up the previous Player of the Tournament in Diego Lainez, top scorer Eduardo Aguirre is in their travelling party; the Tijuana man was on target seven times in the competition in 2018.

For Brazil, RB Leipzig forward Matheus Cunha and Bayer Leverkusen winger Paulinho should be a joy to watch. The former scored this incredible goal earlier in the season:

Portugal have a glut of stellar youth players, and their squad will have a huge Benfica influence, with 11 of their 23-man squad coming from the Lisbon giants.

Hosts France only choose under-18 players for this event. Paris Saint-Germain duo Arthur Zagre and Loic Mbe Soh—who are both 17—will be keen to show what they can do ahead of a return to pre-season with their club.