Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo gave an exclusive interview to Camel Live.
We all know you’re an excellent footballer—I’m a big fan of yours, and there are your fans here too—but I truly believe your greatest value lies in who you are as a person. So, to put it simply, what was Caicedo’s dream when he was 5 or 10 years old
Did he know back then, or did he want to achieve what he has today?
First of all, thank you for being here. Honestly, it’s a pleasure for me to talk to you. I can tell you about my original aspiration.
To be honest, I always dreamed of becoming a professional footballer. I never imagined I could achieve what I have at a young age. But I don’t take credit for it—this is God’s will. I believe in God, as do my parents and my family.
So, they always taught me that God is above all else, that God comes first. I think that’s the key to my success; it pushed me to work hard when I was young. When I played in school tournaments, I even slept in my school uniform.
So, this is really a wonderful thing. My parents never stopped supporting me with whatever little they had. I will always be grateful to God and my parents, because they never abandoned me on this journey.
It’s all God, that’s all. They’ve always been with me, and most importantly, my parents have been with me since I started playing football.
What’s Caicedo’s family like?
My family is the most important thing, so I always try to put my parents first, followed by God. They’re the ones who gave me everything I have today. So, in the game yesterday, when I saw my mom come in, I ran over to hug her right away.
I was so happy I almost cried, because my mom was there in front of so many people. I also wished my dad could be here, but I know he’s supporting me too. That hug really touched me and gave me even more motivation to play.
What does it mean to you to be Ecuadorian?
Well, there’s not much to explain—just want to tell you that I like to only take vacations in my own country. It makes me feel fulfilled because I get to be with my family in my homeland. The food there, like fish soup, reminds me of my upbringing and my preferences, so it’s more satisfying for me than being in any other country.
Of course, I also like to learn about the world, but believe me—if I had to choose between exploring another place and staying in my country, I’d rather stay in mine. Because it’s a very special place for me; it’s in my heart.
What does giving back to Ecuador mean to you?
For me, I think the most important thing is to give without expecting anything in return. After all, I know what it’s like to have nothing, so helping others brings me fulfillment.
I don’t want anything in return; I just want to help people. Because I know that when you give something to someone else, you feel an emotion—a kind of happiness—as if you’ve got the whole world.
So I’m happy for my parents, because they instilled good qualities in me. They always told me to love others as myself, to be helpful, and not to hold grudges.
When you first started your sports career, there were good days and bad days—like feeling tired, getting injured, and so on. How do you motivate yourself to keep going every morning?
I think about people who want to be in my position. Whenever I feel like complaining about what I have, I look at kids who don’t even have shoes to wear. I still remember those boys selling water on the street that I saw before.
I get angry at myself for blaming my situation, because I have everything—I have my family, I have God, I have a home, and I have money.
Even so, I still catch myself complaining. I ask myself, why complain when I have everything? So every time the weather gets cold, I have to train in the rain, and sometimes even in extreme heat.
What’s Caicedo’s next dream?
The Champions League, the Premier League, and if God allows it, the World Cup. I just want to enjoy every moment and strive for these goals in the best way possible. The rest will come naturally, I’m sure. As long as I work hard and dedicate myself, everything will fall into place.
I strive for a lot of things, especially for my national team. Every time I see a packed stadium, see people supporting us, cheering and clapping, hear names being called out, see the players and the starting lineup—I get goosebumps. It’s really, really wonderful for me.
I enjoy playing for the national team. I want to bring them joy in every game, show my talent, and the sacrifices my teammates and I have made. Because without them, I wouldn’t have achieved what I have today.
They’ve helped me a lot both on and off the pitch. So I’m very grateful to everyone who’s been with me along the way. Everything will be okay, I believe everything will work out. You all will help make our dreams come true.
Yes, let’s dream—let’s dream that many good things will come.
I think you’re the best player in the world. Who do you think is the best player in the world?
Well, there are many great players now. Cristiano and Messi were top players, but there are also Vinícius, Yamal, Mbappé—I could name so many. I just want to work harder to keep my country at the top level and make people keep saying good things about me.
I don’t like to say I’m the best in the world; I like it when people say that about me. Well, thank you for the compliment—it makes me work even harder.
Who is your best friend at Chelsea?
My best friend at Chelsea is Jackson. Now that the team is away sometimes, we’re together everywhere. He comes to my house, I go to his house, and we play football together. I always beat him, so yeah, we have a great relationship.
What’s the best goal you’ve ever scored in your life?
Well, I could say it’s my first goal for the national team, but I think it’s my first goal for Chelsea. I know I’ll remember that goal—it’s special to me and will be engraved in my memory for life.
