Moisés Caicedo is on everyone’s radar these days. His Chelsea transfer broke the English fee record, making the 21-year-old one of the players to watch on a team with a lot of history. But Caicedo, who was born in Santo Domingo, Ecuador, and who first rose to fame after a breakthrough performance with Ecuador’s national team in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, doesn’t seem the type to let that go to his head.
Instead, Caicedo, who grew up idolizing Chelsea stars like Claude Makélélé and N’Golo Kanté for something other than their play – their humility, has a chance not many kids get: to become a star with the team they grew up supporting.
“When I was a kid, I supported Chelsea and used to watch the games,” Caicedo said, in his first interview with the club. “Now it is amazing to be here. It is one of the biggest clubs in the world. I can’t wait to start with the guys, to give my best, and to write my own story.”
Caicedo’s story with Chelsea might be about to start, but his story with the national team of Ecuador has already gotten off to a great start. During the FIFA 2022 World Cup, he became the youngest player from his country to score a World Cup goal and quickly cemented his spot as a key part of the team.
Back home, Miguel Angel Ramirez, Caicedo’s former coach at his first club, Independiente del Valle, shared with Sky News that Caicedo is more than a player. He’s an inspiration. “This is Moises. Going back to his village, to his family, his friends, playing football, helping everyone there. He doesn’t forget his people.”
For Caicedo, the youngest of 10 siblings, the dream is to not just be a good player, but one of the best ones – and to be a role model. “I know there are a lot of kids in Ecuador behind me,” Caicedo said in his first Chelsea interview. “I have to be an example for them. I want to represent my country in the best way I can. The people there support me. They wear my shirt. They are an inspiration as well to keep working hard.”
Moisés Caicedo’s story might be just beginning, but that only means there’s a lot in the future for fans to enjoy – at Chelsea, and with Ecuador.
Catch Chelsea’s first game with Moisés Caicedo on the team this Sunday, August 20th, at 11:30ET against West Ham United.