MIAMI – Soccer super star Radamel Falcao Garcia said Monday that he was left out of the list of players that will compete for Colombia during the FIFA World Cup, which begins June 12.
Falcao is known as El Tigre, Spanish for The Tiger. Earlier this year, he damaged his anterior cruciate ligament, and had surgery. He practiced with Colombia's national team in Argentina, but coaches believe he needs more time to recover.
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"Today, I can only smile for having tried until the end," Falcao said on Twitter Monday night.
During a press conference Monday, the soccer celebrity sat next to the team's manager Jose Pekerman and two other players who were also excluded from the team -- Amaranto Perea and Luis Muriel.
"I can't believe it. Even with his knee damage, he is our star. I'm not sure what those coaches are thinking," Manuel Ospina, 37, said in Spanish. "I'm going to be watching every game here from Kendall. I hope our team does well without him. He is our miracle kid."
Falcao was born in the Caribbean city of Santa Marta. His father was professional soccer player Radamel Garcia Sr. When he was 11-years-old, he participated in a tryout with Amsterdam's AFC Ajax, and started to play professionally for Colombia's Lanceros Boyaca when he was 13.
Falcao played for teams in Argentina, Brazil, Portugal and Spain. And now in his late 20s, he is making millions, as he plays for Monaco in the French league.
"Falcao is our best player. The team without him is just not the same," Josue Delgado, 53, said in Spanish. "I'm seriously in shock here, and will be biting my nails. You are not as confident when a player like him is not around."
Colombia competes in Group C against Greece, Ivory Coast and Japan. The first game is against Greece in Belo Horizonte at 12 p.m., June 14. The Ivory Coast is at 12 p.m., June 19. in Brasilia. The Japan game is at 4 p.m., June 24, in Cuiaba.
"Let's just hope that we beat Greece without Falcao," Delgado, of Miami, said. "Not winning that game will be embarrassing."