Between January 2014 and July 2016, Radamel Falcao (No. 46 in ESPN's World Fame 100 rankings) played 1,857 official minutes and scored five goals. After establishing himself as one of Europe's top strikers in previous seasons, El Tigre had struggled during an injury-riddled and inconsistent spell in England with Manchester United and Chelsea. It was after this stretch that Falcao decided to return to his parent club, Monaco, which turned out to be the best decision he ever made.
"I've been through difficult times. Some people stood by me to support me, others did not, but this is for everyone," he said after lifting the Ligue 1 championship trophy May 17. "I'm very proud of this team, of these players. Finally we can say that we're champions. It's a dream for me. I'm very happy."
The Colombian striker captained a side who knew from the start of the season that they had a chance to break powerhouse Paris-Saint Germain's dominance, and who did so in style.
On July 27, 2016, Monaco played their first game of the season against Fenerbahce in the UEFA Champions League qualifying round. Coach Leonardo Jardim's starting lineup surprisingly included a player who had only started two games during the previous year (and had not done so since the previous October). Little was expected of Falcao, but he showed evidence of his recovery when, after 42 minutes, he converted his first real chance. A week later, in the second leg, Falcao scored again, and the fans' wary looks turned to ones of respect.
Then, as the days and matches went by, it became clear that Falcao had regained his scoring touch. He scored goals in the Champions League, in Ligue 1, in the League Cup and in the French Cup. He was top scorer for one of the most free-scoring sides in Europe.
In April, an impressive statistic came to light. In the last 16 of the Champions League against Manchester City, he scored his 43rd goal in European competition, reaching that mark faster (48 games) than any other player. The same feat took Cristiano Ronaldo 88 games and Lionel Messi 64.
In the 2016-17 Ligue 1 season, Falcao scored 21 goals in 29 matches at an average of a goal every 92 minutes. He finished as the top scorer for his team and ranked third in the French top flight, behind Edinson Cavani and Alexandre Lacazette. He also scored one goal in the French Cup competition and five in the Champions League for a total of 27, nearly double his combined total of 16 from the previous three seasons. Just when nobody was expecting it, El Tigre was back.
Another important aspect of his extraordinary season was his leadership role at Monaco. The undisputed captain of the side, he led a squad that set out with modest goals but soon realized that they were capable of achieving great things. He also advised and coached one of the rising stars of world football, French teenager Kylian Mbappe. "I think I'm the luckiest player on our team because I'm at the start of my career and I have the chance to play alongside a striker like Radamel," Mbappe said. "He has left his mark on the history of the game and has scored a lot of goals."
With his return to top form, the Santa Marta-born striker regained his legendary status back home. Throughout the French season, TV sets in Colombia were tuned in to watch Monaco as if they were the Colombian national team. Colombian fans celebrated the Ligue 1 title as if it were their own, and the moment when Falcao lifted the trophy was a form of collective redemption -- a victory for all Colombian football.
Damian Didonato is based in Buenos Aires and covers football for ESPN Argentina.