Việt Nam U21 team will take part in the 48th Toulon Tournament in June in France. Photo vov.vn

HÀ NỘI The Việt Nam U21 team will take part in the 48th Toulon Tournament in June in France, according to the Việt Nam Football Federation (VFF).

The prestigious event is considered a miniature World Cup for young teams and the likes of Thierry Henry of France, Manuel Rui Costa of Portugal and Alan Shearer of England have played in the past.

This year’s tournament will feature 12 teams including three Asian teams: Việt Nam, Australia and Japan.

Teams will be divided into three groups, competing in a round-robin format to choose three group winners and the best second-placed team to the semi-finals.

The event is a warm-up for Việt Nam in preparation for defending their title at the SEA Games 31 to be held in Việt Nam in 2021.

According to Trần Quốc Tuấn, Việt Nam gives priority to train young footballers. He said that since 2015 the VFF has been working to create optimal conditions for young teams to take part in training camps abroad ahead of key regional and international tournaments.

“Việt Nam will take part in the Toulon event, the most prestigious friendly tournament in the world for young teams. We hope that it is a chance for Việt Nam to discover young talents for the national team,” said Tuấn. VNS