FIFA President Sends Message to Liverpool Star After Parents' Kidnapping

The President of FIFA, Swiss Gianni Infantino, extended "support and prayers" to Liverpool winger, Colombian international Luis Díaz, after the kidnapping of his parents. Díaz's mother has been rescued, but dozens of soldiers, supported by police in Colombia, are still searching for his father. The Colombian Football Federation also issued a statement on "X," urging those holding Díaz's father to release him immediately and unconditionally. Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced the news of Díaz's mother's release on Sunday, stating on "X" that "during the rescue operation in Barrancas (northern Colombia), Luis Díaz's mother was freed, and we continue to search for the father." Colombian media reported that the parents of the left winger were at a gas station in their hometown in the La Guajira department when armed men on motorcycles approached them. Police Director William Salamanca stated after a phone conversation with the player's mother, according to a video posted on social media, "Thanks to the plan that the police deployed in a timely manner, we have already found the mother safe and sound... and we continue to actively search for the father." The Colombian army confirmed that it has set up roadblocks and deployed troops, drones, helicopters, and a radar-equipped plane to search for Luis Manuel Díaz. More than 120 soldiers, in addition to police officers, are involved in the search operations for Díaz's father, which encompass the entire northern region of Colombia. Colombian media reports indicate that Díaz's parents were kidnapped by armed men using motorcycles while the player’s father was refueling his car on the road leading to Barrancas, the player's hometown, located in the La Guajira department in the north of the country.