Colombia face Brazil in a World Cup qualifier in the humid Caribbean city of Barranquilla on Thursday night.
With both teams in good form, a win at the Stadio Metropolitano would start their winning streak and secure one of the six direct spots for 2026.
But as the events in Colombia in recent weeks have reminded the world, there are more important things than football.
The South American side clashed against the backdrop of Luis Diaz’s long-awaited reunion with his father, who had been kidnapped by Colombian guerrillas and held hostage for 13 days.
The Liverpool winger arrived on the Caribbean coast at 8am on Tuesday and boarded a van with his wife and two-year-old daughter to meet Luis Manuel Diaz for the first time since he was taken hostage by gunmen.
An emotional video shared by the Colombian Football Federation shows Diaz Sr. crying before hugging his daughter.
Liverpool’s Luis Diaz reunites with father for first time since abductionLuis Díaz and his mother Silenis Marulanda were also kidnapped by the guerrillas and soon released.
He later hugged Ms. Diaz and held her hand to comfort her.In the video, Colombian coach Nestor Lorenzo hugs and applauds Diaz.
“We were all happy with the end result of this unfortunate situation. We prayed every day,” he later told Win Sports. Father and son held each other after nearly two weeks of uncertainty about the Diaz brothers’ whereabouts and safety.
Liverpool fans around the world have expressed their support via social media. The reaction was even stronger at home, where the photos reminded Colombians of their collective suffering after 60 years of brutal conflict.
