A recent Fifpro report revealed that Caicedo faces an “unequal workload” compared to other footballers.
The report detailed how Caicedo travelled almost 25,000km to play four matches in 14 days for club and country in October 2024.
It read: “In 14 days Caicedo played a total of 360 minutes across two continents and three countries, with an average recovery time of 110.8 hours, while flying more than half the length of the equator.” It also said Caicedo “made 27 trips across borders and was in transit for 175.6 hours” last season.
Chelsea’s players had only 20 days off this summer (eight fewer than recommended) and 13 days of pre-season (15 fewer than recommended), because of their Club World Cup-winning campaign, which added seven matches in the US.
Asked about Caicedo after the win over Liverpool, assistant manager Willy Caballero said: “He has played a lot of games with the Club World Cup and with the national team, so we need to manage him sometimes.”
Caicedo has since received his first break from international duty since joining Chelsea. Sources close to him described him as “exhausted” in recent weeks.
Still, Caicedo takes his international commitments seriously, having helped Ecuador finish second in the South American qualifying group, ahead of Brazil, to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
Caicedo, the youngest of 10 siblings, grew up in poverty in Ecuador but has lifted himself and his family out of it through football, becoming a footballing icon back home. In a recent interview in Ecuador, one commentator described Caicedo as “our [Michael] Jordan.”
Having focused entirely on football until recently, Caicedo is now earning from sponsorships, signing deals worth millions with nine brands over the past year, including Banco Guayaquil and a Chinese internet provider.
A ‘Mini Moi’ children’s cartoon is also in development to share his story with Latin American audiences.
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