Is Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo the best midfielder in the Premier League?

A recent report by the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIfpro) revealed that Caicedo faces an “unequal workload” compared to other footballers.

The report details how Caicedo traveled nearly 25,000 kilometers to play four matches in 14 days for club and country in October 2024.

“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 read. She also said Caicedo “made 27 cross-border trips and was in transit for 175.6 hours” last season.

Chelsea’s players had just 20 days of rest this summer (eight fewer than recommended) and 13 days in pre-season (15 fewer than recommended), due to their Club World Cup win, which added seven matches in the United States.

In response to a question about Caicedo after the win over Liverpool, assistant coach Willy Caballero said: “He has played a lot of matches with the Club World Cup and with the national team, so we need to manage him sometimes.”

Caicedo has since been given his first break from international duty since joining Chelsea. Sources close to him described him as “exhausted” in recent weeks.

However, Caicedo takes his international commitments seriously, having helped Ecuador finish second in the South American qualifiers, ahead of Brazil, to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

Caicedo, the youngest of 10 siblings, grew up in poverty in Ecuador, but he succeeded in lifting himself and his family out of this poverty through football, becoming a football icon in his homeland. In a recent interview in Ecuador, one commentator described Caicedo as “our country.” [Michael] Jordan.”

Having focused entirely on football until recently, Caicedo now earns from sponsorship, signing deals worth millions with nine brands over the past year, including Banco Guayaquil and a Chinese internet provider.

A children’s cartoon “Mini Moi” is also being developed to share its story with Latin American audiences.