About Moisés Caicedo
Born on November 2, 2001, Moisés Caicedo Corozo is a professional football player from Ecuador who plays midfield for both the Ecuadorian national team and Chelsea, a team in the Premier League.
At Independiente del Valle, Caicedo started his professional career. After a loan to Beerschot in the Belgian Pro League, he joined Brighton & Hove Albion in February 2021 for an unknown price and quickly established himself in the starting lineup. He reportedly paid £100 million to join Chelsea in August 2023, and the two teams won the UEFA Conference League in 2024–2025.
Caicedo, a full international who has played for Ecuador for more than 50 caps since 2020, was included in the rosters for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and two Copa América competitions.
Early Life
Moisés Caicedo, who was the youngest of ten siblings and was born in Santo Domingo, Ecuador, used to play football on the grassy fields of his homeland, the Mujer Trabajadora neighborhood, where goals were delineated by stone piles. When he was a kid, he met Iván Guerra, a local football coach who would support Caicedo and his family by covering the cost of his food, travel, and football boots. Caicedo’s teammates called him “Niño Moi” because of his sensitive personality.
Moisés Caicedo Club Career
Between the ages of five and twelve, Moisés Caicedo played football at the Mujer Trabajadora soccer school after Guerra invited him to play his first organized game. As a result of the squad’s frequent participation in games throughout Santo Domingo Canton, Caicedo was called up to a regional select team. Caicedo, who started out as a forward but eventually switched to midfield, joined Colorado’s Jaipadida, a local team affiliated with professional club ESPOLI, at the age of thirteen.
He received an invitation to practice with ESPOLI after putting on outstanding performances with Jaipadida. The relationship with Jaipadida was broken, though, once ESPOLI was relegated, and Caicedo was left without a clear route to professional football. Caicedo was put on trial with professional side Mushuc Runa by Jaipadida director Darwin Castillo, but the trial was adjourned after a week because he was unable to pay for food and lodging. Barcelona’s subsequent trial in Guayaquil would similarly end in failure.
Independiente del Valle
He was taken by one of his brothers to the Ecuadorian Serie A team, Independiente del Valle, in 2016 for trials, which he passed. He needed multiple surgeries after suffering a ruptured cruciate ligament in his knee in 2017, which kept him out of commission for ten months. Yuri Solano said that Caicedo’s athleticism “set him apart from the rest at that time” when he recovered from the injury and joined the team to manage the under-18 team in 2019.
Moisés Caicedo was primarily used as a “number 5”, a more defensive midfielder, during his tenure at Independiente del Valle; however, he occasionally played center defense. Caicedo was moved up, playing box-to-box midfield, as a result of the performance of Cristian Pellerano, an Argentine midfielder for Independiente who also played defensive midfield. His performances in this position garnered praise throughout the continent, particularly after he scored in a 5-0 victory over Flamengo of Brazil in the 2020 Copa Libertadores. He got the ball from a Gabriel Torres pass, stepped over a pass from Beder Caicedo, a dummy that tricked several Flamengo defenders, and then put the ball past Flamengo goalkeeper César.
Brighton and Hove Albion
Caicedo signed a four-and-a-half-year contract worth £4 million with Brighton & Hove Albion on February 1, 2021. Moisés Caicedo made his debut with Brighton’s first-team matchday squad on February 10, 2021, as an unutilized replacement in the team’s 1-0 FA Cup away loss to Leicester City.
On August 24, he made his Brighton debut, starting the away game against Cardiff City in the EFL Cup second round. He assisted Andi Zeqiri in scoring Albion’s first goal in the 2-0 victory.
Beerschot Loan
Moisés Caicedo signed a season-long loan with Beerschot of the Belgian top flight on the day of the transfer deadline, August 31, 2021. In the 90+2 minute goal to secure all three points in the 2-0 victory over Genk at home, he scored his first goal on his seventh appearance. Due to Brighton’s lack of central midfielders, Caicedo was called back from loan and sent back to England on January 12, 2022.
The Breakthrough
He was put on the bench as soon as he got back to Sussex, and he stayed there for the January 15 home draw against fierce rivals Crystal Palace. He came on as a substitute in the Albion’s 3-1 away loss to Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup fourth round on February 5th, marking his first appearance since his return and his second overall. On April 9, Caicedo made his Premier League debut, starting and helping Enock Mwepu score in the team’s 2-1 victory over Arsenal on the road. On May 7, he opened the score in a 4-0 victory over Manchester United with a low 25-yard shot in the 15th minute, his first goal for the Albion.
It was announced on June 27, 2023, that Brighton had turned down Chelsea’s £80 million offer for Caicedo. De Zerbi declared on July 21, 2023, that he would “start the next season with Caicedo in… [his] head in the first 11.” Jürgen Klopp, the manager of Liverpool, confirmed a day later that the club had agreed to pay Brighton £111 million for Caicedo, as reported on August 10, 2023. On August 12, 2023, it was reported that Chelsea had accepted a stronger proposal for Caicedo, giving Brighton a cost of £115 million, including add-ons.
Chelsea
Moisés Caicedo signed an eight-year contract with Chelsea on August 14, 2023, with a one-year extension option. According to reports, the sum was about £100 million, despite the fact that it was officially secret. Due to performance-related add-ons, this sum may rise to almost £115 million, setting a British transfer fee record for a single player and surpassing Chelsea’s £107 million purchase price for Enzo Fernández. Although not officially retired, squad number 25 has not been used since Gianfranco Zola departed Chelsea in 2003; Zola approved of Caicedo’s wearing it.
He made his Premier League debut for his new team on August 20th, substituting in the 61st minute of a 3-1 loss to West Ham United. In that game, Caicedo gave up a penalty that was converted by Lucas Paquetá. In a 2-1 victory over Bournemouth on May 19, 2024, the last day of the Premier League season, he scored his first goal for Chelsea with a strike from 50 yards out.
Caicedo made his Chelsea debut as captain on August 22, 2024, against Servette in the 2024–25 UEFA Conference League play-off round. In a 1-1 tie with Manchester United on the road on November 3, 2024, he scored his first goal of the season with a volley from the edge of the 18-yard box. He scored a goal in stoppage time to help the team defeat Real Betis 4-1 in the 2025 UEFA Conference League final on May 28, 2025. Caicedo would receive the Chelsea Player of the Season title at the end of the 2024–25 campaign in recognition of his outstanding performances. He was the only member of Chelsea’s current roster to start every one of the team’s 38 Premier League games this season.
Style of Play
As a holding midfielder, Caicedo typically plays on the right side of a midfield pivot. Even though he plays a more defensive role in the team, his skills allow him to play box-to-box and support his team’s counterattacks. In addition, he can intercept attacks in the midfield and distribute the ball well.
International Career
Moisés Caicedo made his debut for Ecuador’s senior team on October 9, 2020, during a 1-0 loss to Argentina in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying match. He scored his debut goal in a 4–2 home win over Uruguay at Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado on October 13 of that year.
Along with Brighton colleagues Jeremy Sarmiento and Pervis Estupiñán, Caicedo was included in Ecuador’s 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup on November 14. Caicedo’s equalizer in the last group match against Senegal on November 29 would have advanced Ecuador to the round of 16. Three minutes later, though, Senegal’s Kalidou Koulibaly scored to take the lead again and advance the Senegalese.
Caicedo was included in Ecuador’s final 26-man Copa América roster for 2024.
Moisés Caicedo Faith
Moisés Caicedo is a Christian. He is seen kneeling to pray to God both before and after every game. He is a devoted Christian who isn’t embarrassed to share his beliefs on all platforms.
Net Worth
Caicedo’s weekly pay of £150,000 will be a substantial boost from the £60,000 he was previously paid at Brighton. This amounts to a remuneration of £7,800,000 per year. Over the course of his Chelsea deal, he will get a total gross salary of £62,400,000.
As of 2025, Moisés Caicedo’s projected net worth is $2.5 million. He makes money via endorsement deals, his professional football wage, and other sources.
Moisés Caicedo Relationship
Moisés Caicedo and Paola Salazar are romantically involved. The pair began dating as teenagers and have been together for five years.
In his native Ecuador, Caicedo was playing for Independiente del Valle when they first crossed paths.
Professional model Paola Salazar was crowned the Carnival of the Americas queen in Los Ríos, Ecuador.
Honours
Independiente U20
- U-20 Copa Libertadores: 2020
Chelsea
- UEFA Conference League: 2024–25
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2025
- EFL Cup runner-up: 2023–24
Individual
- Brighton & Hove Albion Player of the Season: 2022–23
- Brighton & Hove Albion Players’ Player of the Season: 2022–23
- Chelsea Goal of the Season: 2023–24
- Chelsea Player of the Season: 2024–25
- Chelsea Players’ Player of the Season: 2024–25
- FIFA Club World Cup Bronze Ball: 2025
