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 Díaz'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.
Liverpool released a statement on Sunday confirming that they were aware of the situation.
"It is our fervent hope that the matter is resolved safely and at the earliest possible opportunity," the statement read. "In the meantime, the player's welfare will continue to be our immediate priority."
The forward was not named in Liverpool's Premier League game at Anfield against Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
"We had to obviously make a late change because of the private situation involving Luis Díaz," Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said ahead of the game.
"It's a worrying situation for all of us and it was a pretty tough night. I have never had that before, it's a new experience I never needed."
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.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.