Luiz Diaz’ story is incredible and despite all the talent, it’s a miracle he was able to have a professional career. At 17 he was severely underweight, unknown and playing on a dusty pitch in his remote village.
Luis Díaz grew up close to a mining settlement, he ate goat for almost every meal, he didn’t have a television and in the evenings he would listen to his grandma tell stories. He is from an indigenous Wayuu family and he played football in the village team run by his family.
Colombia was looking to put together a team for the Copa America of Indigenous People in Chile.
Luis Díaz’ family was invited to send some players from the club to Bogota for a trial. Luis went but was initially written off as too skinny but in training he impressed and was picked.
He impressed in Chile and caught the eye of Colombian legend Carlos Valderrama. ‘El Pibe’ took him to his former club Junior for a trial, they liked him and sent him to their second division affiliate Barranquilla FC. They said he needed to add 10kg & was on a high protein diet.
He impressed at Barranquilla and was brought across to Junior in 2017, by 2019 he was off to Europe with Porto.
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