 Falcao's first call-up to the under-20 team was for the friendly tournament Copa Simón Bolívar in Venezuela in 2003.He played in the 2004 Toulon Tournament, scoring his only goal at the tournament against Turkey.In the 2005 South American U-20 Championship, where he was champion with his team, he played five matches and scored once, on 23 January in the 1–1 draw against Argentina.