#3 Radamel Falcao
During his time with Atletico Madrid, Falcao was one the most feared strikers in world football. Acrobatic scissor kicks, volleys, deft finishes, headers, and poacher’s goals, Falcao had it all in his locker. He scored a remarkable nine goals for Colombia in the qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup, single-handedly ensuring their qualification to the World Cup for the first time since 1998.
In January 2014, Falcao suffered a severe ACL injury which threatened to rule him out of the upcoming FIFA spectacle he had worked so hard to make it to. Optimistic about his chances of taking part in the tournament, Falcao worked hard towards getting fit in time, even participating in the pre-World Cup training camp but had to pull out in the last minute as he felt it was not right to take up a place in the squad if he was not full fit.
Falcao’s international career suffered a further setback in 2016 as Jose Pekerman chose to leave him out of the squad for Copa America 2016 after Falcao’s alarming dip in performance post his comeback from injury.
On the positive side, ‘El Tigre’ was recalled to the side for Colombia’s attempt at qualifying for the 2018 World Cup. Considering the Colombian is now 30-years-old, it would in all likelihood be his last chance to grace a World Cup at the peak of his powers.
