Moisés Caicedo

Early career

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. Following impressive performances with Jaipadida, he was invited to train with ESPOLI. However, following ESPOLI's relegation, the tie with Jaipadida was severed, and Caicedo was left without a direct pathway to professional football. Jaipadida director Darwin Castillo sent Caicedo to trial with professional side Mushuc Runa, but after he was unable to pay for food or board, the trial was ended after a week. A later trial with Barcelona in Guayaquil would also prove unsuccessful.

Independiente del Valle

In 2016 one of his brothers brought him to Ecuadorian Serie A side Independiente del Valle for trials, which he successfully passed. Having suffered a ruptured cruciate ligament in his knee in 2017, he required a number of surgeries, and was out for a total of ten months. Caicedo recovered from the injury, and following his arrival at the club to manage the under-18 side in 2019, Yuri Solano stated that Caicedo's athleticism "set him apart from the rest at that time". Later in 2019, Caicedo…

Caicedo usually plays on the right side of a midfield pivot as a holding midfielder. His attributes are more defensive minded, but despite a more defensive role in the side, he is able to play box-to-box and contribute to his side's counterattacks. He is also a good passer while intercepting attacks along the midfield. Throughout 2025, Caicedo was often ranked among the best defensive midfielders in the world.

On 9 October 2020, Caicedo debuted for the Ecuador senior squad in a 1–0 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification loss to Argentina. The same year on 13 October, he scored his first goal in a 4–2 home victory against Uruguay at Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado. On 14 November, Caicedo was named in Ecuador's 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup alongside Brighton teammates Pervis Estupiñán and Jeremy Sarmiento. In the last group match tie against Senegal on 29 November, Caicedo scored the equaliser that would've seen Ecuador through to the round of 16. However, Kalidou Koulibaly scored for Senegal three minutes later to regain the lead and send the Senegalese through instead. Caicedo was called up to the final 26-man Ecuador squad for the 2024 Copa América. On 31 May 2026, Caicedo was selected in the 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

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.