England will defend their title at the 2017 Toulon Tournament this summer

Friday 27 Jan 2017

England will defend their Toulon Tournament title this summer after confirming their place at the annual competition in southern France.

Gareth Southgate and his squad beat the host nation in the final last May to pick up their first Toulon title since 1994.

And the Young Lions will be back for the famous competition in 2017, hoping to enjoy the same level of success that Gareth Southgate’s squad reached last term.

They will join hosts France, Ivory Coast, Scotland and Wales at the competition, with those nations already confirmed, with a further six teams to be announced in due course.

The 12 nations will be split into three groups of four teams with group winners and the best second-placed team progressing into a semi-final stage.

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Players who are born during or after 1997 will be eligible for this year’s tournament, which takes place between the later dates of 29 May and 10 June.

With both the Under-21 European and Under-20 World Cup Finals taking place this summer, nations will be using Toulon as an opportunity for players aged up to Under-19 to tests themselves against world opposition.

By Nicholas Veevers Content Manager - FA Owned Channels

Young Lions set for Toulon 2017