Falcao in 2018
Falcao with Colombia in 2018

Radamel Falcao is a Colombian professional footballer who represents the Colombia national football team as a striker. He made his debut for his country in a 3–1 friendly defeat to Uruguay in February 2007. His first goal came in his second game for Colombia, the only score in a victory over Montenegro in the 2007 Kirin Cup.[1] As of March 2023, Falcao is his country's top scorer with 36 international goals in 104 games. He surpassed the previous record of 25 goals, held by Arnoldo Iguarán, when he scored in a 2–2 draw with Spain in a friendly in June 2017.[2] Falcao scored nine goals during Colombia's 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign, but an injury sustained while playing for his club team Monaco in January 2014 ruled him out of the finals.[3] His first FIFA World Cup finals appearance came four years later in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, with his 74th cap, against Japan in a group stage match in June 2018.[4] His first goal in the tournament came in his following game, a 3–0 group stage victory over Poland.[5]

As of March 2023, Falcao has not scored an international hat-trick, but has scored twice in a single international match on four occasions, against Bolivia, Paraguay, Chile and Bahrain.[1] He has scored more goals in friendlies than in any other format, with seventeen, and thirteen goals in qualifying for the FIFA World Cup. Two of his goals came in the Copa América, one in the FIFA World Cup finals and two in the Kirin Cup. Falcao has scored more goals against Bolivia and Chile (four) than any other opponents.[1] Nine of his goals have been scored at the Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, three at other venues in Colombia, with the remainder being scored abroad.[1] Falcao's most recent goal came in a 2–0 friendly win against Paraguay in Fort Lauderdale on 19 November 2022.[6]

Goals

As of 19 November 2022
Colombia score listed first, score column indicates score after each Falcao goal.[1]
Key
‡ Indicates goal was scored from a penalty kick
International goals by cap, date, venue, opponent, score, result and competition
# Cap[1] Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition Ref.
1 2 3 June 2007 Matsumoto Stadium, Matsumoto, Japan  Montenegro 1–0 1–0 2007 Kirin Cup [7]
2 5 8 September 2007 Estadio Monumental, Lima, Peru  Peru 1–1 2–2 Friendly [8]
3 13 19 November 2008 Estadio Deportivo Cali, Cali, Colombia  Nigeria 1–0 1–0 Friendly [9]
4 18 10 June 2009 Estadio Atanasio Girardot, Medellín, Colombia  Peru 1–0 1–0 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification [10]
5 19 12 August 2009 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, United States  Venezuela 1–1 1–2 Friendly [11]
6 25 8 October 2010 Red Bull Arena, Harrison, United States  Ecuador 1–0 1–0 Friendly [12]
7 27 26 March 2011 Vicente Calderón, Madrid, Spain  Ecuador 2–0 2–0 Friendly [13]
8 31 10 July 2011 Estadio Brigadier General Estanislao López, Santa Fe, Argentina  Bolivia 1–0 2–0 2011 Copa América [14]
9 2–0‡
10 34 11 October 2011 Estadio Hernando Siles, La Paz, Bolivia  Bolivia 2–1 2–1 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification [15]
11 35 29 February 2012 Sun Life Stadium,[Note 1] Miami Gardens, United States  Mexico 1–0 2–0 Friendly [16]
12 38 7 September 2012 Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Barranquilla, Colombia  Uruguay 1–0 4–0 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification [17]
13 39 11 September 2012 Estadio Monumental David Arellano, Santiago, Chile  Chile 2–1 3–1 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification [18]
14 40 12 October 2012 Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Barranquilla, Colombia  Paraguay 1–0 2–0 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification [19]
15 2–0
16 42 22 March 2013 Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Barranquilla, Colombia  Bolivia 4–0 5–0 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification [20]
17 45 11 June 2013 Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Barranquilla, Colombia  Peru 1–0‡ 2–0 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification [21]
18 48 11 October 2013 Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Barranquilla, Colombia  Chile 2–3‡ 3–3 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification [22]
19 3–3‡
20 49 14 November 2013 King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium  Belgium 1–0 2–0 Friendly [23]
21 52 10 October 2014 Red Bull Arena, Harrison, United States  El Salvador 1–0 3–0 Friendly [24]
22 54 26 March 2015 Bahrain National Stadium, Riffa, Bahrain  Bahrain 2–0 6–0 Friendly [25]
23 3–0
24 55 30 March 2015 Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates  Kuwait 3–1‡ 3–1 Friendly [26]
25 56 6 June 2015 Estadio Diego Armando Maradona, Buenos Aires, Argentina  Costa Rica 1–0 1–0 Friendly [27]
26 65 7 June 2017 Estadio Nueva Condomina, Murcia, Spain  Spain 2–1 2–2 Friendly [28]
27 68 5 September 2017 Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Barranquilla, Colombia  Brazil 1–1 1–1 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification [29]
28 69 5 October 2017 Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Barranquilla, Colombia  Paraguay 1–0 1–2 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification [30]
29 71 23 March 2018 Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France  France 2–2 3–2 Friendly [31]
30 75 24 June 2018 Kazan Arena, Kazan, Russia  Poland 2–0 3–0 2018 FIFA World Cup [5]
31 78 7 September 2018 Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, United States  Venezuela 1–0 2–1 Friendly [32]
32 80 11 October 2018 Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, United States  United States 3–2 4–2 Friendly [33]
33 82 22 March 2019 Nissan Stadium, Yokohama, Japan  Japan 1–0‡ 1–0 2019 Kirin Challenge Cup [34]
34 84 3 June 2019 Estadio El Campín, Bogotá, Colombia  Panama 3–0‡ 3–0 Friendly [35]
35 91 13 October 2020 Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos, Santiago, Chile  Chile 2–2 2–2 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification [36]
36 102 19 November 2022 DRV PNK Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, United States  Paraguay 2–0 2–0 Friendly [6]

Statistics

As of match played 28 March 2023

Notes

  1. ^ The Sun Life Stadium was renamed Hard Rock Stadium in 2016.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Mamrud, Roberto (5 July 2018). "Radamel Falcao García – Goals in International Matches". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  2. ^ "Falcao becomes Colombia's all-time top goalscorer". Goal. Perform Group. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  3. ^ "Radamel Falcao ruled out of 2014 World Cup after suffering knee injury while playing for Monaco". The Daily Telegraph. 23 January 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  4. ^ "Falcao to debut at World Cup when Colombia faces Japan". USA Today. Associated Press. 17 June 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  5. ^ a b McCluskey, Frank (24 June 2018). "Poland vs Colombia: Radamel Falcao scores first World Cup goal to end Polish hopes of reaching last 16". The Independent. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  6. ^ a b "Colombia 2–0 Paraguay". ESPN. 19 November 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  7. ^ "Radamel Falcao García y sus buenas sensaciones en la Selección Colombia". El País (in Spanish). 11 June 2017. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  8. ^ "Peru v Colombia, 09 September 2007". 11v11.com. Association of Football Statisticians. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  9. ^ "Falcao The Difference As Colombia Scrape Past Nigeria". Semana. 20 November 2008. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  10. ^ "Colombia 1–0 Peru". FIFA. Archived from the original on 29 March 2013. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  11. ^ "Colombia v Venezuela, 12 August 2009". 11v11.com. Association of Football Statisticians. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  12. ^ "Ecuador v Colombia, 08 October 2010". 11v11.com. Association of Football Statisticians. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  13. ^ "Colombia beats Ecuador 2–0 in friendly". Fox Sports. 27 March 2011. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  14. ^ "Colombia cruise into quarters". Eurosport. Reuters. 11 July 2011. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  15. ^ "Bolivia 1–2 Colombia". Sky Sports. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  16. ^ "Con goles de Falcao y Cuadrado, Colombia venció a México en Estados Unidos". El País (in Spanish). 29 February 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  17. ^ Gowar, Rex (8 September 2012). "Falcao stays hot as Colombia put Uruguay to sword". Reuters. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  18. ^ "Chile 1–3 Colombia". Sky Sports. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  19. ^ "Falcao hizo la diferencia y Colombia venció a Paraguay" (in Spanish). ESPN Deportes. 13 October 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  20. ^ "Colombia 5–0 Bolivia". Sky Sports. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  21. ^ Gowar, Rex (12 June 2013). "Strikers come good as Uruguay, Colombia and Chile all win". Reuters. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  22. ^ "Colombia 3–3 Chile". Sky Sports. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  23. ^ Bartunek, Robert-Jan; Blenkinsop, Philip (14 November 2013). "Colombia's Falcao and Ibarbo hand Belgium 2–0 defeat". Reuters. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  24. ^ "Radamel Falcao scores first goal for Colombia in nearly a year". The Guardian. 11 October 2014. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  25. ^ "Bahrain 0–6 Colombia". BBC Sport. 26 March 2015. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  26. ^ Cummings, Michael (31 March 2015). "Colombia vs. Kuwait: Score and Report from International Friendly". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  27. ^ "Colombia 1–0 Costa Rica". ESPN. 7 June 2015. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  28. ^ "Spain 2–2 Colombia". Sky Sports. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  29. ^ Downie, Andrew (6 September 2017). "Brazil, Colombia share points in pulsating 1–1 draw". Reuters. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  30. ^ "Colombia 1–2 Paraguay". ESPN. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  31. ^ Pretot, Julien (23 March 2018). "Soccer – France lose composure in 3-2 defeat to Colombia". Reuters. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  32. ^ "Venezuela 1–2 Colombia". Sky Sports. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  33. ^ "USA 2–4 Colombia". Sky Sports. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  34. ^ "Japan 0–1 Colombia". Canal RCN. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  35. ^ "Colombia makes light work of neighbors Panama in Copa America warmup". Colombia Reports. 3 June 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  36. ^ "Chile 2–2 Colombia". ESPN. 13 October 202p. Retrieved 13 October 2020.

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