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

A recent Fifpro report revealed Caicedo faces an “unequal workload” compared to other footballers.

The report detailed Caicedo traveling nearly 25,000km to play four matches in 14 days for club and country in October 2024.

It read: “Caicedo played a total of 360 minutes in two continents and three countries in 14 days, with an average recovery time of 110.8 hours, while flying more than halfway across the equator.” It was also stated that Caicedo “made 27 cross-border trips and was in transit for 175.6 hours” last season.

Chelsea players had just 20 days off this summer (eight days less than recommended) and 13 days off for pre-season (15 fewer than recommended) due to their Club World Cup-winning campaign adding seven matches in the United States.

Asked about Caicedo’s situation after the win over Liverpool, assistant manager Willy Caballero said: “He has played a lot of games in the Club World Cup and for the national team, so sometimes we have to manage him.”

Caicedo has taken a break from international duty for the first time since joining Chelsea. Sources close to him have described him as “exhausted” in recent weeks.

Caicedo is taking his international commitments seriously, though, and helped Ecuador finish second ahead of Brazil in their South American qualifying group to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

The youngest of 10 siblings, Caicedo grew up in poverty in Ecuador, but thanks to football, he saved himself and his family from this poverty and became a football icon in his hometown. In a recent interview in Ecuador, one commentator described Caicedo as “our [Michael] Jordan.”

Caicedo, which until recently focused entirely on football, now earns money from sponsorships, signing deals worth millions with nine brands last 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.