Ecuador’s Moises Caicedo. Pic: FIFA
Quito: Moises Caicedo is a name on everyone’s lips right now in the world of football, with the midfielder, who turns 21 next month, among the brightest talents in the English Premier League. He has attracted the attention of the biggest teams in Europe, eager to acquire the services of one of the hottest young prospects on the global market.
Caicedo is also about to take centre stage at the FIFA Qatar World Cup 2022, where he will feature as a key part of an Ecuador side set to battle it out against the hosts in the opening match. As the big kick-off approaches, the leading member of a young and talented Ecuadorian generation spoke to FIFA+ to discuss his growth as a player and La Tri’s hopes of success.
FIFA+: The countdown to the World Cup is on. How does it feel now the competition is just around the corner?
Moises Caicedo: I’m very happy. Honestly, we still can’t believe we’re in a World Cup, that we’re going to be the team that kicks off the tournament, and we’re really pumped about that. We’re working very hard, both at our individual clubs and with the national team, which is a real joy. There’s a great sense of responsibility but it’s an incredible experience. It’s a really good group, everyone’s very upbeat. We’re a very united bunch of young players. Our goal is to make it Ecuador’s most successful World Cup of all time.
You started out as a defensive midfielder and went on to play as a No8 under Miguel Angel Ramirez at Independiente del Valle. How did you cope with that transition?
In actual fact, I started playing in that position way before Miguel Angel came in, but he gave me the confidence to really make it my own. That’s when I started to see the evolution, when he started playing me there, he gave me a lot of freedom. The coach of the national team was like Miguel Angel when I started playing with them too: he gave me a lot of license to attack, to move around. That really helped me develop my game, to be myself.
Is there much difference between the way you play with Brighton and the national team?
Quite a bit to be honest. I have to stick to my position more when I’m playing with Brighton, but here with the national team there’s more opportunity to go and ask for the ball. So, I think my team-mates give me confidence and I’m able to show how much I can do. I think I stick to my position more with Brighton. It’s more about attacking into empty spaces rather than falling back to ask for the ball.
What’s your take on your World Cup group and your chances of going through?
We know we’re up against three very tough teams. All the teams are very competitive but we’ve been drawn against some very strong contenders.
But, as I say, we’re already working towards it. We want to do well in the World Cup, we’re studying the teams, we’re really excited to be in a group with Qatar, Senegal and the Netherlands. They’re very strong teams and we know that it will be a very challenging group stage. We’re preparing for that, to go all out in those three games and to get Ecuador to the top and go through to the next round.
And finally: an ambition for the coming months?
To have a great World Cup playing with Ecuador, the best of all time. I don’t mean just getting through to the quarter-finals, I’m saying to have a great World Cup. My dream is to make it an incredible World Cup, to get the whole world talking about Ecuador and I’m certain that’s what we’ll do.
