Falcao began his professional career in the Colombian Second Division at the age of 13 at Lanceros Boyacá, before moving to the Argentine club River Plate, where he played with their youth academy from 2001 until 2005 and later won the 2007–08 Clausura tournament. In 2009, he joined Portuguese club Porto, where he won several trophies, including the Europa League and Primeira Liga double in 2011. Falcao became their all-time top goalscorer in international club competitions and set the record for most goals (17) in a European campaign. He also became the first Colombian to receive the Portuguese Golden Ball award. In August 2011, Falcao was transferred to Atlético Madrid for a club record €40 million, leading them to Europa League and Super Cup victories in 2012. Falcao finished as top goalscorer for the second straight year and became the first player to win consecutive Europa League titles with two teams. He was named in the FIFA FIFPro World XI in 2012, and finished in fifth place for the 2012 FIFA Ballon d'Or.