Díaz made his senior international debut for Colombia in 2018. He has earned over 60 caps for his national team, helping them to a third-place finish at theCopa América in2021, where he was also awarded theGolden Boot, and a runner-up finish in2024.
Luis Fernando Díaz Marulanda was born on 13 January 1997 inBarrancas, La Guajira,[3] and began playing football at the age of six.[4] Nicknamed "Luchito", he attended a small football school run by his father.[4] In 2014, at the age of 17, he attended an open trial hosted byAtlético Junior and impressed enough to join the youth team.[4][5]
He was included in Colombia's 22-man squad for the 2015 Copa Americana de Pueblos Indígenas, due to hisWayuu ethnicity.[6] After impressing during the tournament, he joined the senior team ofAtlético Junior in 2016, being immediately assigned tofarm teamBarranquilla.[7] Given Díaz's slender build[5] and a potentiallymalnourished appearance, he was given a dietary plan by Barranquilla to gain 10 kg.[8]
On 10 July 2019, Díaz signed forPrimeira Liga clubPorto on a five-year contract,[18][19] with the club buying 80% of his economic rights for a fee of €7 million.[20]Zenit Saint Petersburg had also wanted to sign him, but he was convinced otherwise by compatriot former Porto playersRadamel Falcao andJames Rodríguez, as well as his then-national team coachCarlos Queiroz.[20] Díaz also admitted that prior to his Porto move, he had signed a pre-contract withCardiff City, but the move never materialised.[21]
In his first season in Portugal, Díaz totalled 50 appearances and 14 goals as Porto won the league and theTaça de Portugal. Inthe final of the latter on 1 August 2020, he was sent off after 38 minutes in a 2–1 win overBenfica at theEstádio Cidade de Coimbra.[26]
On 21 October 2020, he scored his first Champions League goal in a 3–1 defeat againstManchester City in the2020–21 season.[27] On 23 December, Díaz came on as a 77th-minute substitute forMehdi Taremi in the2020 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira againstO Clássico rivals Benfica, and scored to confirm a 2–0 win.[28] The following 10 February, he was sent off in a 1–1 draw atBraga in a cup semi-final for unintentionally breakingDavid Carmo's leg; compatriot Uribe was also dismissed.[29]
On 11 September 2021, Díaz scored in a 1–1 away draw againstrivalsSporting CP.[30] On 9 October, he scored the only goal of a 1–0 Champions League group stage win overAC Milan.[31]
With two goals in a 4–0 win overMoreirense on 1 November, he reached five goals in his first six league games, best in the league;[32] On 28 November, he scored his tenth, a long-range effort in the 2–1 victory overVitória de Guimarães; this goal earned him the Primeira Liga Goal of the Month award.[33] His performances led to him being also named the league's Player of the Month and Forward of the Month for October and November.[34]
On 19 December, Díaz was named the league's Forward of the Month for the second consecutive month, after scoring four goals and providing three assists.[35] Despite leaving Porto halfway through his final season, he was the joint seventh top scorer with 14 goals.[36] Despite leaving Porto in January 2022, he was issued with a winner's medal after the club won the2021–22 Primeira Liga title.[37]
On 30 January 2022, Díaz signed a five-year contract atPremier League clubLiverpool for a reported €45 million (£37.5 million) with €15 million (£12.5 million) add-ons.[38][39][40] Prior to signing for Liverpool, Díaz had attracted interest fromTottenham Hotspur. Upon learning of Tottenham's bid, Liverpool changed their summer plans, and decided to sign Díaz on a permanent deal, after impressing Liverpool's then-managerJürgen Klopp.[41]
He made his debut on 6 February, coming on as a 58th-minute substitute forCurtis Jones in anFA Cup fourth-round game at home toCardiff City. He assisted a goal byTakumi Minamino in a 3–1 win.[42] Thirteen days later, he scored his first goal for Liverpool in his second league start for the club in a 3–1 home win overNorwich City atAnfield.[43] In the2022 EFL Cup final on 27 February, he played the first 97 minutes of a goalless draw withChelsea that his team won on penalties.[44] On 3 May, he scored the second goal in Liverpool's 3–2 away victory overVillarreal in the Champions League semi-final, to secure his team's place in the final.[45] On 14 May, he started in the2022 FA Cup final against Chelsea, which Liverpool won 6–5 on penalties after a goalless draw, with Diaz being replaced byRoberto Firmino in the 98th minute, as he was namedman of the match.[46] On 28 May, Díaz started in the 2022 Champions League final as Liverpool lost 1–0 toReal Madrid.[47]
On 30 July 2022, Díaz started for Liverpool in the club's 3–1 win overManchester City in theFA Community Shield at theKing Power Stadium.[48][49] Diaz started the new months of the season by scoring four goals and providing three assists, including a brace in Liverpool's9–0 win overAFC Bournemouth, which equalled thejoint-largest win in the history of the Premier League.[50] However, on 9 October, Díaz came off for Roberto Firmino in the 42nd minute of a game againstArsenal due to an knee injury.[51] After seven months on the sidelines, Díaz made his return from injury on 17 April, replacingCody Gakpo in the 81st minute of a 6–1 away win overLeeds United.[52] Having not registered a goal since 7 September 2022, Díaz returned to scoring ways on 30 April 2023, scoring Liverpool's second goal in their 4–3 home win over Tottenham Hotspur.[53]
Díaz entered the2023–24 season with a new shirt number, changing from 23 to 7.[54][55] On 13 August, Díaz scored his first goal of the season as his side drew 1–1 against Chelsea in the Premier League.[56] On 19 August, he scored an acrobatic volley in a 3–1 win against Bournemouth.[57]
On 30 September, Díaz scored againstTottenham Hotspur in a Premier League away match, with the goal being disallowed by thelinesman for beingoffside.VAR did not intervene on the decision after an "unusually quick" review. After the match,PGMOL admitted that the offside ruling was a "significant human error" and Díaz should have been awarded a goal.[58] Liverpool lost the game 2–1.[59] On 5 November, in the first match he played since the kidnapping of his parents, Díaz came on as a substitute and scored a stoppage-time equaliser in a 1–1 Premier League draw away againstLuton Town.[60][61] On 24 January 2024, he scored a goal for Liverpool in theEFL Cup semi-final againstFulham which sent Liverpool to thefinal.[62]
Liverpool won the2024–25 Premier League, making Díaz the second Colombian to win the league afterJuan Cuadrado, who won it withChelsea in2015.[66] Additionally, he scored 17 goals during the title-winning season, setting a personal best.[67]
On 30 July 2025, Diaz signed forBundesliga clubBayern Munich on a four-year deal for a reported fee of €75 million, including add-ons. He became the third Colombian player to represent the club, followingAdolfo Valencia andJames Rodríguez.[68][69][70][71] On 16 August, he made his debut and scored his first goal in a 2–1 victory againstVfB Stuttgart in theDFL Supercup. By scoring his first goal for Bayern he did his former Liverpool teammateDiogo Jota’s gaming celebration as a tribute to him.[72]
In the2025–26 UEFA Champions League league phase, Bayern would face off againstParis Saint-Germain on Matchday 4 at the Parc des Princes. Diaz opened the scoring with a fourth minute goal, followed by his second goal after the 32nd minute. However, toward the end of the first half, Diaz committed a foul on PSG'sAchraf Hakimi, attempting to kick a ball away between Hakimi's legs. Hakimi and Diaz would become entangled afterward, resulting in a serious injury for Hakimi and an initial yellow card for Diaz. However, upon VAR review, the refereeMaurizio Mariani decided to award Diaz a straight red card, resulting in Diaz being sent off and Bayern playing with only ten men for the remainder of the match. On 21 November 2025, it has been confirmed UEFA has banned Diaz for three games because his tackle on Hakimi is deemed to be "serious rough play".[73]
Díaz was included in Colombia's squad for the2021 Copa América.[78][79] On 23 June, he scored the opening goal in a 2–1 first round loss to hostsBrazil with a bicycle kick,[80] and on 6 July he scored their goal in a semi-final draw against Argentina, which ended in an Argentine victory following a penalty shoot-out.[81] Three days later, he scored twice, including the match-winning goal, in a 3–2 victory overPeru in the third-place match.[82] He ended as joint-top goalscorer of the tournament alongsideLionel Messi.[83][84]
On 16 November 2023, Díaz scored both of Colombia's goals as they defeated Brazil 2–1 in what was the first time they had ever defeated the latter in aFIFA World Cup qualifier.[85][86]
On 21 June 2024, he was selected in the 26-man squad for the2024 Copa América.[87][88] He would help his national team reach thefinal,[89] where they lost 1–0 to Argentina after extra time.[90]
Díaz is ofWayuu andAfro-Colombian origin, making him the first indigenous Colombian to represent Colombia.[91] His brother,Jesús, is also a professional footballer.[92] In July 2023, Díaz got engaged to his girlfriend, Gera Ponce and they got married in June 2025.[93]
On 29 October 2023, Díaz's mother Cilenis Marulanda and father Luis Manuel "Mane" Díaz werekidnapped by armed men on motorcycles at a gas station in their hometown ofBarrancas.[94] His mother was rescued by police a day later, with a "major military search" announced to locate his father. Colombian PresidentGustavo Petro stated that "all the public forces have been deployed" and the following day,General William Rene Salamanca announced a reward of up to 200 million pesos for information on Díaz's father's whereabouts.[95] Díaz was absent for Liverpool's following Premier League match againstNottingham Forest, with his teammateDiogo Jota holding up Díaz's shirt during a goal celebration.[96] His father was released by the kidnappers on 9 November.[97]
In June 2024, leading up to the2024 Copa América, Díaz appeared on Colombian singer,Ryan Castro's song "EL RITMO QUE NOS UNE". He also appeared in the music video alongside Colombian national team teammates,James Rodriguez andJuan Fernando Quintero who also sang in the song.[98]
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