Parents of Liverpool's Díaz kidnapped in Colombia

Colombian President Gustavo Petro said on Saturday that the mother of Colombia and Liverpool player Luis Díaz had been rescued after being kidnapped in northern Colombia but that officials were still searching for his missing father.

The Colombian attorney general’s office earlier said it assembled a team of investigators to search for the couple in Barrancas, a municipality in Colombia’s northern La Guajira province.

The National Police confirmed the rescue of Díaz’s mother, Cilenis Marulanda, and said she spoke with Director William Rene Salamanca. In a video, Salamanca said he is using every agent to find Diaz’s father.

The parents of the 26-year-old Díaz were reportedly kidnapped as they drove to their home. Gunmen on motorbikes stopped them and drove them away in the vehicle, authorities said.

Colombia’s soccer federation said in a statement the kidnapping was regrettable and urged authorities to rescue the father.

Díaz, who has played 43 times for Colombia, has not commented on the incident.

Premier League club Liverpool signed winger Díaz from Portuguese club Porto in a multimillion-dollar deal in January 2022. He has scored 14 goals in 58 appearances for the Premier League giants.

Liverpool will next be in action on Sunday against Nottingham Forest.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.