On the occasion of its 50th edition, which will take place from 3 to 16 June 2024, the Maurice Revello Tournament is opening its history book. Since it was founded in 1967, the competition has seen many talented players. More than 2,000 have gone on to become senior internationals, and some of them have written football history. To celebrate its anniversary, the Tournament is updating its top 100, created in 2017. Until 29 March, our website will be displaying the updated rankings of the 100 greatest players to have taken part in the Tournament. And it continues today, with the rankings from 65th to 61st place.
65th : Ray Parlour (England) - 1992 & 1994
Like a number of players in the history of the Maurice Revello Tournament, Ray Parlour took part in the competition on two occasions. The first time was in 1992, when England disappointed by finishing only sixth. Two years later, his second appearance was far more successful. The Young Three Lions won the 1994 edition, beating USA, Belgium and Portugal in the final. Alongside Parlour were several future internationals such as Sol Campbell and Robbie Fowler. Then at Arsenal, the midfielder continued his progress with the Gunners, where he made history. Between 1992 and 2004, he won nine trophies, including a place in the Invincibles team that won the English title in 2004.
64th : Ivan Cordoba (Colombia) - 1996
In 1996, Colombia took part in the Maurice Revello Tournament for only the second time in their history. Placed in a group with France, Russia, Netherlands and Argentina, they were not lucky at the draw, but managed to finish fifth thanks to two wins over Russia and Netherlands. The team included eleven future senior internationals, including Ivan Cordoba. At the time, the central defender was playing for Atlético Nacional in his homeland. After another spell with Argentina's San Lorenzo, it was at Inter Milan above all that he made his name. In thirteen seasons, until 2012, Cordoba played more than 450 matches and won fifteen trophies with the Nerazzurri, including the Champions League in 2012. With the national team, he won the Copa America in 2001.
63rd : Maxime Bossis (France) - 1975
After two first editions between clubs and nations, the Tournament brought together exclusively national teams for the first time in 1975. For this third edition, Argentina, France, Portugal, Italy, Hungary and Mexico made up a very high-level field. After overcoming Czechoslovakia and Italy, the French team reached the final but came up against a tough opponent: the Argentina of Daniel Passarella, Jorge Valdano and César Luis Menotti. Les Bleuets were beaten but finished second. The team included a number of future internationals such as René Girard, Albert Gemmrich and Maxime Bossis. Bossis was already with FC Nantes, where he spent most of his successful career, making almost 500 appearances and winning four trophies. In 76 caps for Les Bleus, he won the 1984 Euro and played in three consecutive World Cups in 1978, 1982 and 1986.
62nd : Franck Sauzée (France) - 1985
In 1985, the French team flew through the competition: four games, four wins, nine goals scored, two conceded... A nearly perfect run for Les Bleuets, who were the logical winners of the Tournament. As well as Jean-Pierre Papin, the team's star and best player, another player also managed to shine. At just 20 years of age, Franck Sauzée shone, scoring two goals, including one in the final against England. A resident of FC Sochaux at the time, the midfielder did not live long in the Doubs and signed for Olympique de Marseille in 1988, where he scored 40 goals in 164 appearances and won five trophies, including the Champions League in 1993. He also went on to play for Monaco, Strasbourg and Montpellier, and even abroad, in Scotland (Hibernian) and Italy (Atalanta Bergamo).
61st : Andy Cole (England) - 1992
As mentioned above in relation to Ray Parlour, England's participation in the 1992 edition of the Tournament was not to be remembered. After two draws with Mexico and France, and a defeat over Czechoslovakia, the Young Three Lions finished sixth without a single win. The England team was not without talent, however, and in addition to Parlour, another player had a successful career in the years that followed. Andy Cole left Arsenal in the wake of the Tournament and embarked on a tour of England that took him to Manchester United from 1995 to 2001. With the Red Devils, he formed a formidable pair of strikers with Dwight Yorke, scoring 121 goals in 275 appearances and winning eleven titles, including the Champions League in 1999.