Background and career
Moisés Isaac Caicedo Corozo (born 2 November 2001) is an Ecuadorian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Chelsea and captains the Ecuador national team. Often considered one of the best defensive midfielders in the world, Caicedo is known for his passing and interceptions.
Caicedo began his career at Independiente del Valle. In February 2021, he joined Brighton & Hove Albion for an undisclosed fee, and broke into the first team following a loan to Beerschot in the Belgian Pro League. In August 2023, he joined Chelsea for a reported fee of £100 million, winning the UEFA Conference League in 2024–25.
A full international with over 60 caps for Ecuador since 2020, Caicedo was selected in the nation's squads for two Copa América tournaments and two FIFA World Cups.
Born in Santo Domingo, Ecuador, the youngest of 10 siblings, Caicedo would play football on the scrubland pitches of his hometown, the Mujer Trabajadora neighbourhood, where goals were marked out by piles of stones. He met local football coach Iván Guerra as a child, who would help Caicedo and his family by paying for his football boots, travel expenses and food. Given Caicedo's sensitive nature, he was nicknamed "Niño Moi" by his teammates.
Caicedo was invited to play his first organised football at the Mujer Trabajadora soccer school by Guerra, and he played there between the ages of five and twelve. The team would often play in games across the Santo Domingo Canton, and Caicedo earned a call-up to a regional select XI. Initially a forward, Caicedo later developed into a midfielder, and at the age of thirteen joined local side Colorados Jaipadida, an affiliate of professional club ESPOLI.
