The draw for the under-21 Toulon Tournament was announced in France today and holders Brazil found out who they would be competing against in Group B.
The tournament is taking place in France between May and June and will be hosted in cities such as Toulon, Nice, Nimes and Avignon.
Brazil beat Colombia in the final last year and have been drawn alongside England, Qatar, Korea and coincidentally Colombia.
Whilst in Group A, holders France are paired with Chile, China, Portugal and Mexico. The schedule is yet to be announced though.
England U21 manager Gareth Southgate told the FA website that it will be a “different” challenge for his side.
Southgate said: “This will be a difficult challenge with the younger players in the group, as we head to the Toulon Tournament in France. That will see us playing nations from Asia and South America, so it’s a different test for us.
“We need that for our development as a team and individuals, to face those different styles and experience being away with an intense programme of games.”
Paulo Freitas confirmed the news in his article for website Soccerly. He added that the Seleção, who are coached by Alexandre Gallo, are likely to pick impressive under-17 players.
São Paulo’s pair Boschilia and Ewandro are likely to be picked alongside Atlético Paranaense’s Nathan.
The tournament should prove to be another success and Brazil will be aiming to win the competition for the 8th time in their history.
