Ex-Liverpool ace Luis Diaz endures two minutes from hell as he sets unwanted World Cup mark
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Liverpool FC NewsFeaturesLuis DíazFormer Liverpool winger Luis Diaz came agonizingly close to being a World Cup hero for Columbia on Tuesday night against DR Congo, before the referee spoiled a pair of big momentsLuis Diaz nearly scored a quickfire brace for Columbia in his Tuesday night World Cup fixture(Image: Getty Images)Luis Diaz is undeniably Colombia's talisman at the 2026 FIFA World Cup and was involved in the buildup for most of his side's attacking moves during Tuesday's late-night contest against DR Congo.After Crystal Palace defender Daniel Munoz's 76th-minute go-ahead goal — his second in two games — put Colombia up 1-0, Diaz — a potential Ballon d'Or contender — endured a torrid two-minute spell laden with heartbreak.In the 79th minute, Diaz's sweet solo move leading to a cute finish was ruled out due to a Colombian foul in the build-up. A minute later, he received a through ball from midfield, carried into the Congo box, cut right, and fired home a power finesse shot into the opposite corner a la 2016 Philippe Coutinho.This time, Diaz was adjudged to have made his run slightly early.
The Colombian winger fell to the ground and rolled into a somersault. He looked around in disbelief before smacking the ground out of pure frustration.The run was one of five times Diaz was ruled offside in the match, the most by any player in a single World Cup fixture in 12 years.Luis Diaz smacks the ground after his goal was ruled out for him being offsides(Image: Getty Images)It wasn't the ex-Liverpool —a Premier League winner with the Reds in 2024/25 — forward's best international game.
He logged five shots and two key passes but completed just one of his three dribbles.Diaz celebrated with his hands raised to the sky when Munoz snuck past a basketball-like pick from striker Jhon Cordobe to slot home the Colombian winning goal in the 76th minute.Daniel Munoz (R) scored Columbia's opening goal for a second straight match(Image: Getty Images)The win for Colombia clinches the nation's passage into the knockout stage for the first time since 2014, a tournament where James Rodriguez — still starting for his country — lit up Uruguay with one of the most famous World Cup goals of all time in a Round of 16 victory.Diaz is fresh off his most prolific season as a professional in 2025/26, scoring 26 goals and registering 19 assists across all competitions as Bayern Munich completed the domestic double.The mercurial winger struggled with consistency for the Reds, but was genuinely brilliant in his first half season with the club when Liverpool came just two games away from completing the quadruple.Columbia missed out on the 2022 World Cup — Diaz was still a Liverpool player — after a string of agonizing results in CONMEBOL qualifying, where they were the better side. in 2026, he has a platform to show his skills off on an international stage.Choose Liverpool.com as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.Luis DíazFIFA World Cup