Colombian · Santa Marta, Colombia · Born 10 February 1986Colombian striker who scored 70 goals in 72 matches for Atlético Madrid, firing them to consecutive UEFA Europa League titles in 2010 and 2012 with clinical finishing and aerial dominance in the box.
Radamel Falcao won the Europa League in consecutive seasons — with Atlético Madrid in 2012 and again in 2013 — and his record of 72 goals in 87 games at Porto remains one of the most prolific stretches by any striker in European football, from a player many considered the world's best centre-forward before a devastating knee injury in January 2014. Porto developed him — 72 goals in 87 games — before Atlético Madrid paid £38 million. He won the Europa League twice in succession (2012, 2013). Monaco paid £51 million for him in 2013. A catastrophic knee ligament injury in January 2014 — sustained while playing for Monaco seven months before the World Cup — changed the trajectory of his career. He missed the 2014 World Cup. He returned to play but never fully recovered the explosive pace and movement that had made him arguably the best striker in the world from 2011 to 2013. Loan spells at Manchester United and Chelsea were disappointing. He scored 9 goals in 16 appearances for Colombia before injury. He continued playing at elite levels in Spain and Colombia after his peak. Before the injury, the statistical consensus placed him as the most complete centre-forward of his generation — his combination of movement, heading, finishing and work rate was genuinely unmatched.
Being the all-time top scorer in Europa League history
How They Played
Clinical finisher with exceptional positioning, strong in the air, and deadly inside the penalty box
Lasting Impact
One of the greatest South American strikers of his generation, known for clinical finishing and aerial ability
Career Honours
- Europa League 2x (2012,2013)
- Copa del Rey (2011)
- Serie A
- Ligue 1
- Copa América runner-up
- UEFA Super Cup 2012
- UEFA Super Cup 2010
- Portuguese League 2011
| Club | Period | Fee | Apps | Goals | Shirt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| River Plate | 2005–2009 | — | 90 | 51 | #9 |
| FC Porto | 2009–2011 | £38m | 87 | 72 | — |
| Atlético Madrid | 2011–2013 | £38m | 91 | 70 | — |
| Lanceros Boyacá | 2005–2005 | — | 17 | 9 | — |
| AS Monaco | 2013–2019 | £51m (€60m) | 113 | 83 | — |
| Manchester United | 2014–2015 | loan | 29 | 4 | — |
| Chelsea | 2015–2016 | loan | 12 | 1 | — |
| Galatasaray | 2019–2021 | — | 43 | 20 | — |
| Rayo Vallecano | 2021–2022 | — | 35 | 6 | — |
| Millonarios | 2022–2023 | — | 32 | 17 | — |
 Colombia | — | — | 109 | 36 | — |
Colombian Athletes