MEXICO CITY (AP) — After contributing with a goal and an assist. world cup During his debut, Colombia’s Luis Diaz walked to the sideline to look for his father. They found each other and realized a dream they had spent years in the making.
“It brought back a lot of things from the past,” Diaz said after the game. Colombia beat Uzbekistan 3-1 on Wednesday night. “I’ve worked for this. I fought to be here at this moment.”
First, Colombia missed out on qualifying for the 2022 World Cup. Then his parents were kidnapped.
In late 2023, Luis Manuel “Mane” Diaz and his wife Sirenis Marulanda were captured by armed guerrillas on the Colombia-Venezuela border. Marulanda was quickly rescued, but Mane Diaz was not.
Luis Diaz, who was playing for Liverpool at the time, returned to his hometown of Barrancas and missed two games to claim his father’s freedom. Back at the club, he scored a goal and showed off his undershirt With the words “Freedom for Daddy” Printed in Spanish.
The gesture garnered international support and increased pressure on the Colombian government to act. Manet was released Father and son after being detained for 12 days exchanged an emotional hug when they were reunited.
Diaz’s father went viral this week after posting a video of himself praying over his son’s jersey ahead of the first World Cup match.
Dias, who currently plays for Bayern Munich, scored the winning goal just after Uzbekistan had equalized, with his father watching in the stands, leading Colombia to their first World Cup victory since 2018.
“I think there was always something that didn’t make us feel safe,” Diaz said. “I think I’m at my best today.”
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Jack Little is a student at the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.
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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
