LINDA CAICEDO: WOMEN’S SOCCER NEXT BIG STAR

Soccer

Written by Aaron Cantin

Linda Caicedo was the Colombian soccer player who stood out the most in the recent Copa América. With a runner-up title and a ticket to the next Women's World Cup, Caicedo is experiencing one of the best moments of her short career. Together with Catalina Usme, Caicedo finished among the ideal eleven players of this Copa América and rumours even circulate through the networks that they could be interested in her from FC Barcelona.

Source (Background Photo): AFP | BabaGol Twitter

At just 17 years old, Caicedo is off to an explosive start in her career. Her professional debut came in 2019 when she was a top scorer and champion in the women's league with América de Cali. At that time, she was just 14 years old. It was at this point in her career that she began to be called “La Neymar” because of her dribbling skills, her attitude on the field of play and her great technical ability to play. The native of Santiago de Cali then moved to Deportivo Cali, where she won her second title in 2021. Since 2019, the forward has been a participant in the Colombian National Team, playing in 17 games and scoring 8 goals as a result.

At this moment, Caicedo is in the orbit of two important international opportunities: FC Barcelona and the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) of the United States. The two goals that Caleña scored in this Copa América were undoubtedly key to attracting the attention of the soccer world outside of Colombia and even earned the respect of several Colombian soccer players who previously did not have her on their radar. For example, she received praise from "Tino" Asprilla, the former striker for the Colombian National Team.

One thing that could complicate her future in Europe is her age, as she would need to wait until she was 18 to be able to participate in European soccer. This would not be a problem in the NWSL of the United States, so it is an issue to consider for the future of the player. However, her representatives have ensured that Linda already has a pre-agreement with FC Barcelona, so she could be on her way to that team when she turns 18.

Regardless of where Caicedo takes her talent, we will surely be hearing much more from her in the coming decade.