Ávila made his international debut as a late substitute in a match against the United States in a pre-World Cup friendly in February 2006. He scored his first goal for the Guatemalan senior side in a friendly match against Honduras later that year. On 17 October 2007, in a game against the Mexico national team, he came of age at the international level, scoring a brace (first the equalizer and then the winner) and setting up an earlier goal. This superb performance helped Guatemala beat Mexico for the first time in almost seven years. As of January 2010, he had collected 24 caps, scored three goals and represented Guatemala in two FIFA World Cup qualification matches. He also played at the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup.