A tournament for U-21 players, usually played in several cities in the Region du Var (southern France), with the final in Toulon. Participation is by invitation. Has been disputed yearly since 1974 with national teams, but the first (1967) edition featured clubs. The most prestigious of all friendly tournaments involving U-21 teams, and considered an unofficial world championship before FIFA introduced the official World Youth Cup in 1977.
winners runners-up
1967 Anderlecht Slovan Bratislava
1974 Poland Hungary
1975 Argentina 1-0 France
1976 Bulgaria 3-2 France
1977 France 1-0 Bulgaria [aet]
1978 Hungary 4-3 France
1979 Soviet Union 2-0 Netherlands
1980 Brazil 2-1 France [aet]
1981 Brazil 2-0 Czechoslovakia
1982 Yugoslavia 2-2 Czechoslovakia [4-3 pen]
1983 Brazil 1-1 Argentina [3-0 pen]
1984 France 1-1 Soviet Union [aet, 4-3 pen]
1985 France 3-1 England
1986 Bulgaria 1-0 France
1987 France 1-1 Bulgaria [9-8 pen]
1988 France 4-2 England [aet]
1989 France 3-0 Bulgaria
1990 England 2-1 Czechoslovakia
1991 England 1-0 France
1992 Portugal 2-1 Yugoslavia
1993 England 1-0 France
1994 England 2-0 Portugal
1995 Brazil 1-0 France
1996 Brazil 1-1 France [7-6 pen]
1997 France 2-1 Portugal [aet]
1998 Argentina 2-0 France
1999 Colombia 1-1 Argentina [6-5 pen]
2000 Colombia 1-1 Portugal [asdet, 3-1 pen]
2001 Portugal 2-1 Colombia
2002 Brazil 2-0 Italy
2003 Portugal 3-1 Italy
2004 France 1-0 Sweden
2005 France 4-1 Portugal
2006 France 0-0 Netherlands [aet, 5-3 pen]
2007 France 3-1 China
2008 Italy 1-0 Chile
2009 Chile 1-0 France
2010 Ivory Coast 3-2 Denmark
2011 Colombia 1-1 France [aet, 3-1 pen]
2012 Mexico 3-0 Turkey
2013 Brazil 1-0 Colombia
2014 Brazil 5-2 France
2015 France 3-1 Morocco
2016 England 2-1 France
2017 England 1-1 Ivory Coast [5-3 pen (no extra time)]
2018 England 2-1 Mexico
2019 Brazil 1-1 Japan [5-4 pen (no extra time)]
2020 not held due to Covid-19 Pandemic
2021 not held due to Covid-19 Pandemic
2022 France 2-1 Venezuela
2023 Panama 4-1 Mexico
2024 Ukraine 2-2 Ivory Coast [5-4 pen (no extra time)]
2025 France 3-1 Saudi Arabia
France 14 (14) Brazil 9 England 7 ( 2) Portugal 3 ( 4) Colombia 3 ( 2) Bulgaria 2 ( 3) Argentina 2 ( 2) Italy 1 ( 2) Ivory Coast 1 ( 2) Mexico 1 ( 2) Chile 1 ( 1) Hungary 1 ( 1) Soviet Union 1 ( 1) Yugoslavia 1 ( 1) Anderlecht 1 Panama 1 Poland 1 Ukraine 1 Czechoslovakia ( 3) Netherlands ( 2) China ( 1) Denmark ( 1) Japan ( 1) Morocco ( 1) Saudi Arabia ( 1) Slovan Bratislava ( 1) Sweden ( 1) Turkey ( 1) Venezuela ( 1) Note: Between brackets is the number of times a team were runners-up.
1967
Best Player: Teugels (Anderlecht)
Top Scorer: J.Capkovic (Bratislava)
Best Goalkeeper: Ivanic (Bratislava)
1974
Best Player: Nyalasi (Hungary)
Top Scorer: Sipocz (Hungary)
Best Goalkeeper: Turner (Derby County)
1975
Best Player: Antoneli (Italy)
Top Scorer: Torovikcis (Hungary)
Best Goalkeeper: Kollar (Hungary)
1976
Best Player: Manolov (Bulgaria)
Top Scorer: Zdravkov (Bulgaria)
Best Goalkeeper: Manolkov (Bulgaria)
1977
Best Player: Soler (France)
Top Scorer: Soler (France)
Best Goalkeeper: Manolkov (Bulgaria)
1978
Best Player: Zambelli (France)
Top Scorer: Nagy (Hungary)
Best Goalkeeper: Aguilar (Mexico)
1979
Best Player: Gyemesi (Hungary)
Top Scorer: Fortunato (Italy)
Best Goalkeeper: Novikov (Soviet Union)
1980
Best Player: Touré (France)
Top Scorer: Pokluda (Czechoslovakia)
Best Goalkeeper: Miklosko (Czechoslovakia)
1981
Best Player: Zvanya (Soviet Union)
Top Scorer: Fatorri (Italy)
Best Goalkeeper: Marolla (Brazil)
1982
Best Player: Ernst (East Germany)
Top Scorer: Griga (Italy)
Best Goalkeeper: Miklosko (Czechoslovakia)
1983
Best Player: Luvanor (Brazil)
Top Scorer: O'Keffe (Ireland)
Best Goalkeeper: Rudenko (Soviet Union)
1984
Best Player: Rusaiev (Soviet Union)
Top Scorer: Zaghini (Algeria)
Best Goalkeeper: Zhidkov (Soviet Union)
1985
Best Player: Oman Biyik (Cameroon)
Top Scorer: J-P. Papin (France)
Best Goalkeeper: Nadon (France)
1986
Best Player: Ribar (France)
Top Scorer: Zvara (Hungary)
Best Goalkeeper: Gantchev (Bulgaria)
1987
Best Player: D.Ginola (France)
Top Scorer: Penev (Bulgaria)
Best Goalkeeper: Tafarell (Brazil)
1988
Best Player: Thomas (England)
Top Scorer: Zitelli (France)
Best Goalkeeper: Martyn (England)
1989
Best Player: Kaladjev (BUL)
Top Scorer: Mitharski (BUL)
Best Goalkeeper: Chaumin (I.N.F.)
1990
Best Player: Necas (CZE)
Top Scorer: Robins (GBR)
Best Goalkeeper: Bernardy (CZE)
1991
Best Player: Shearer (GBR)
Top Scorer: Shearer (GBR)
Best Goalkeeper: James (GBR)
1992
Best Player: Rui Costa (POR)
Top Scorer: Rui Costa (POR)
Best Goalkeeper: Cicovic (YUG)
1993
Best Player: Maurice (FRA)
Top Scorer: Maurice (FRA)
Best Goalkeeper: Gerrard (GBR)
1994
Best Player: Genaux (BEL)
Top Scorer: Peeters (BEL)
Best Goalkeeper: Coupet (FRA)
1995
Best Player: Dhorasso (FRA)
Top Scorer: Histilloles (FRA)
Best Goalkeeper: Fabio (BRA)
1996
Best Player: Adailton (BRA)
Top Scorers: Adailton (BRA), Nuno Gomes (POR)
Best Goalkeeper: Fabio (BRA)
1997
Best Player: Henry (FRA)
Top Scorers: Henry (FRA), Carlitos (POR), Wolff (USA), Victoria (COL)
Best Goalkeeper: Nuno Santos (POR)
1998
Best Player: Riquelme (ARG)
Top Scorers: Guerrero (POR), Heskley (GBR)
Best Goalkeeper: Nuno Santos (POR)
1999
Best Player: Pereyna (ARG)
Top Scorer: Montaño (COL)
Best Goalkeeper: Saja (ARG)
2000
Best Player: Moreno (COL)
Top Scorer: Moreno (COL)
Best Goalkeeper: Leite (POR)
2001
Best Player: Chara (COL)
Top Scorer: Djibril Cissé (FRA), Luis Lourenço (POR)
Best Goalkeeper: Luis Martinez (COL)
2002
Best Player: Pinga (BRA)
Top Scorer: Pellicori (ITA), Nakayama (JAP)
Best Goalkeeper: Rubinho (BRA)
2003
Best Player: Meshareno (ARG)
Top Scorer: Herrera (ARG), Ruopolo (ITA), Lourenço (POR)
Best Goalkeeper: Vale (POR)
2004
Best Player: Rio Antonio Mavuba (FRA)
Top Scorer: Bryan Bergougnoux (FRA)
Best Goalkeeper: not awarded
With thanks to Frank Ballesteros and Roberto Di Maggio
Prepared and maintained by José Luis Pierrend and Erik Garin for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation
Authors: José Luis Pierrend
and Erik Garin
Last updated: 2 Jul 2025
(C) Copyright José Luis Pierrend, Erik Garin and
RSSSF 1998/2025
You are free to copy this document in whole or part provided that proper
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