Soccer Star Carlos Tevez -- Stepfather Returned After Kidnapping ... Reports of Ransom Payment

The stepfather of Argentinian soccer superstar Carlos Tevez has been found -- and is in "good shape" -- after he was kidnapped in Tevez's home country ... with reports saying Carlos paid a ransom to get him back.

A lawyer for Carlos' family told media outlets in Argentina that the soccer player's stepfather was kidnapped early Tuesday and was held for 8 hours before he was returned.

According to the BBC, Tevez's stepfather was driving his car about 19 miles outside of Buenos Aires when he was abducted by a group of men.

There are reports out of Argentina that Carlos paid a ransom to get his stepfather back -- with some media outlets saying it was as low as $5k and as high as $400k -- but Carlos' lawyer has not confirmed if the reports are true.

Carlos -- who plays for the Italian club team Juventus -- has been granted time off to be with his family in the wake of the incident.