Colombia’s soccer superstar, Radamel Falcao, was named person of the year by two major newspapers.
Citing El Tigre’s spectacular play for Atletico Madrid and the Colombian national team, Colombian newspapers El Tiempo and El Espectador selected Falcao for the annual award.
Falcao was lauded for helping the national team to place itself in a strong position to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. After missing the tournament for the last 16 years, the national team rediscovered success in large part due to Falcao’s contributions.
Local media referred to Falcao’s successes in Argentina, Portugal, and Spain, and said El Tigre represented “a generation of Colombians who has no fear of any place on the planet.”
American, French, and Spanish publications also recognized Falcao’s accomplishments, as GQ, Onze Mondial, and Diario As each gave the Colombian an award.