Get to know Linda Caicedo, soccer’s fastest rising female star

At just 19, Caicedo has asserted herself as next up to be considered one of the greatest women’s players, ever

Currently, there might not be a more explosive women’s player in the world than Linda Caicedo.

At just 19, the Colombian-born Caicedo has become one of the fastest rising stars in the women’s game. She received her first taste of senior-level soccer at 14. Today, she’s one of 26 finalists in the running to be named to FIFPRO Women’s World 11, given to the most outstanding players in the world. She’s one of just eight forwards up for the award, one that includes names like Spain’s Athenea and Brazilian legend Marta, the latter whom just led the NWSL’s Orlando City franchise to a league title and who Caicedo has noted in the past is her childhood hero.

Caicedo’s star power is only just beginning. Here are five reasons why soccer fans should to keep this young phenom on their radar.

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She led Colombia to a Copa America final — as a 17-year-old

Caicedo was a key part of a historic run by the Colombian women’s national team in the 2022 women’s Copa America tournament. However, going up against reigning Copa champions Argentina was a tall order. Leave it to a 17-year-old Caicedo to score the game-winning goal to lift Colombia into its first Copa America final, where the team would run out of luck against a Marta-led Brazilian national team. Still, for her efforts, Caicedo was named the best player of the tournament in addition to being named to the tournament’s Best XI.

She helped orchestrate one of the greatest World Cup surprises ever …

Heading into the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Colombia wasn’t expected to go very far. Sandwiched into a group that included titans like South Korea and Germany, it was assumed that Colombia alongside Morocco in that group would be on the outside looking in. Not only did Colombia emerge from the group it defeated both South Korea and Germany, with Caicedo scoring goals in both games. While they’d go one to lose to last place Morocco in the group, fueled by Caicedo’s goals, Colombia would win Group H and move onto the knockout stage.

… and one of its biggest upsets

Just two days before its match against Germany, mind you against a German side that beat Morocco, 6-0, in its opening game of the group, Caicedo fainted while training. She’d go on to score the game’s first goal against Germany lifting the Colombians to a 2-1 upset no one predicted. It would be that loss and a tie against South Korea a few days later that saw Colombia leapfrog Germany and move on. She’d go on to win Player of the Match honors and her goal was nominated for a major award.

81 games, 31 goals

That’s Caicedo’s current tally since stepping onto the senior club stage in 2019. She scored seven goals in seven games with Colombia’s America de Cali, and then in three years playing for rival club Deportivo de Cali, Caicedo notched 16 goals in 37 appearances. Following her time with Deportivo, in which rumors had her aligned to move to a number of European clubs, Caicedo landed at Real Madrid in 2023, where she has 10 goals in 33 appearances as of Dec. 1.

A true baller

Caicedo, who’s known for her flawless dribbling abilities and technical game landed on the radar as one of the best up-and-coming women’s players long before she saw her star shine at arguably its brightest with Madrid. At the 2022 FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup, Caicedo was given both the Bronze Boot and the Silver Ball, awards given to one of the top scorers and top players of the tournament, respectively. At the 2022 Copa, in which she led Colombia to the final, Caicedo would win the Golden Ball, given to the top overall player. Friendly reminder that she was just 17, when she’d collect the honor.

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