EMOTIONAL Luis Diaz gets reunited with father after latter spent 12 days kidnapped

Luis Diaz's mother was released within a few days of the kidnapping.

EMOTIONAL Luis Diaz gets reunited with father after latter spent 12 days kidnapped

(L-R) Luis Diaz, Luis Manuel. (Source: via @FCFSeleccionCol)

Luis Diaz has finally been reunited with his father after he, his father, was held captive for over 12 days. The player’s parents were initially kidnapped in his native country of Colombia and were held for ransom.

After playing for his country, the 26-year-old Luis Diaz returned to Colombia. He had a heartfelt reunion with his parents, who were once kidnapped. Luis Manuel, his father, had been captured by the National Liberation Army (ELN) and was released on November 9th. The Liberation Army handed him over to a humanitarian commission led by the United Nations and the Catholic Church, where several family members gathered.

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He said:

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It was a lot of horseback riding, a lot of mountains, a lot of rain, too many insects. I couldn’t sleep peacefully. It was difficult. Almost 12 days without sleep.

When news first broke out about Luis Diaz’s parents being kidnapped, the football world was in shock at the ordeal the player was going through. The player was shown immediate support by his club, Liverpool FC who released a statement on the issue.

Diogo Jota, a Liverpool forward, paid tribute to Luis Diaz by raising his jersey, expressing the club’s support. The gesture received applause from everyone at Anfield. With Luis Diaz’s parents safely reunited in Colombia, he can now concentrate on the upcoming World Cup Qualifiers.

Can Luis Diaz lead Colombia to the World Cup?

Failing to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Luis Diaz and Colombia missed their first World Cup since the 2010 edition of the tournament.

Luis Diaz
Luis Diaz (Source: via Liverpool FC)

In the CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers, the top 6 teams directly qualify for the World Cup, while the 7th place team enters another round of inter-federation Qualifiers. Colombia, currently in 5th place with six points from four games, has not lost a match but has three draws and just one win. This leaves them close to slipping down to 8th place.

Facing the challenge of playing against Brazil, a team with five World Cup championships, Luis Diaz and his national squad need to put in extra effort. The game is scheduled for November 16th at the Estadio Metropolitano in Colombia.

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