‘We were praying every day,’ Colombia host Brazil as support shown for Luis Díaz Sr after kidnapping

Colombia take on Brazil in a World Cup qualifier on Thursday evening in Barranquilla, a humid city located by the Caribbean Sea. With neither team in good form, a victory at the Estádio Metropolitano could kick-start a run of wins and help secure one of six direct qualification spots for 2026.

However, as events in Colombia in recent weeks have reminded the world, some things are bigger than football. The South American sides face each other amid the emotional backdrop of Luis Díaz’s long-awaited reunion with his father after he had been kidnapped and held hostage for 13 days by Colombian guerrillas.

Upon arriving at the Caribbean coast at 8am on Tuesday morning, the Liverpool winger jumped in a van immediately with his wife and two-year-old daughter to see Luis Manuel Díaz for the first time since he was taken hostage by armed men. The emotional images shared by the Colombian Football Federation showed Díaz Sr breaking down in a cathartic wave of tears even before his son, with his daughter in hand, could embrace him.

Néstor Lorenzo, Colombia’s manager, can also be seen on video giving Díaz a hug of support. “The final outcome of this unfortunate situation made us all happy. We were praying every day,” he later told Win Sports.

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The sight of father and son in each other’s arms after almost two weeks of uncertainty over Díaz Sr’s whereabouts and safety was met with messages of support on social media from Liverpool fans across the world. The response was even more overwhelming at home where the photographs reminded Colombians of their collective suffering after six decades of brutal conflict.

“God bless this beautiful family, I hope that they never have to go through something like this again,” tweeted one user in response to the emotive images, “nor will any family in Colombia, because we are not condemned to live like this.”

“Thank you God for allowing us to be together again as a family,” posted Díaz himself.

Díaz Sr was kidnapped by armed men on motorcycles from his hometown Barrancas in northern Colombia on October 28th. After five days of intense speculation regarding who had taken him, government peace negotiators revealed Díaz Sr was in the hands of the country’s oldest active guerrilla group, the National Liberation Army (ELN). Though the guerrillas promised to free Díaz Sr the same day, it took almost another week for the teacher to be freed.

Details of Díaz Sr’s ordeal only emerged on Friday when he spoke for the first time of the gruelling treks and 12 sleepless nights he spent in captivity in the Serrania de Perija mountains bordering Venezuela. “I would not want anyone to be in that mountain in the situation I was in,” he told journalists from outside his home in Barrancas.

It remains unclear why the ELN held Díaz Sr – with the 58-year-old saying that no payment was made for his freedom – but the kidnapping has strained ongoing peace negotiations, angered millions across Colombia and turned the world’s attention on the human rights violations committed by the armed rebels.

The ELN, which runs lucrative drug trafficking and extortion rackets, drew further ire on Monday when its leader, Antonia Garcia, claimed that the armed group kidnaps civilians because it is “poor”.

“Kidnapping was never and will never be an option to build a country in peace,” tweeted one person in response to the images of Díaz with his father. “These images, which go around the world, should generate a deep reflection on the country’s problems.”

“Lucho”, as Díaz is affectionately nicknamed in Colombia, where he is one of the country’s most famous names, used his celebrity platform to pressure for his father’s release. “Today it is not the footballer speaking to you, today it is Lucho Díaz speaking to you, the son of Luis Manuel Díaz,” the winger said in a press release after scoring for Liverpool against Luton earlier this month, a goal he celebrated by revealing a vest calling for his father’s release.

Colombians will be hoping that Díaz channels the support he has received and the joy of being reunited with his father to spur Colombia on to a victory on Thursday. Los Cafeteros missed out on a place at last year’s World Cup in Qatar and have drawn their last three qualifiers since beating Venezuela 1-0 in the opening game of the current campaign.

Third-place Brazil have also seen their form slide. After hammering Bolivia 5-1 at home, the five-times world champions have beaten Peru 1-0, but then drew 1-1 with Venezuela and were beaten 2-0 by Uruguay.

As well as goalkeeper Ederson, who was injured in Manchester City’s dramatic 4-4 draw with Chelsea on Sunday, Brazil are also missing Neymar after the forward underwent knee surgery after suffering an ACL injury during that defeat to Uruguay. Most eyes will likely be on Díaz, however. - Guardian