Moisés Caicedo

Moisés Caicedo is expected to be named in Sebastián Beccacece's final 26-man Ecuador squad for the 2026 World Cup, with the final 26 due on 1 June 2026. The Chelsea midfielder is 24 at kick-off and brings 60 senior Ecuador caps and three international goals into the selection window as of 31 March 2026, with the central-midfield role explicitly expected.

Ecuador face Germany, Curacao and Ivory Coast in Group E, opening against Ivory Coast at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on 14 June. Ecuador finished second in CONMEBOL round-robin qualifying on 10 June 2025 — a finish reached behind Argentina after a three-point deduction for an ineligible player. Caicedo remains an expected central-midfield selection until the final squad lands.

Caicedo plays on the right side of a midfield pivot as a holding midfielder, with defensive screening in front of the back four, interceptions and ball progression from deep central to his game. His attributes are defensive-minded but he can play box-to-box and contribute to counter-attacks, and he is a good passer while intercepting along the midfield.

Throughout 2025 he was ranked among the best defensive midfielders in the world. His 60 caps and three international goals fit a holding midfielder in Beccacece's 4-2-3-1, with Ecuador's qualifying record of just five goals conceded across 18 games behind his role.

Ecuador sit in Tier 4 at £10m within the game's £200m card budget. The Group E draw — Germany, Curacao and Ivory Coast — frames Beccacece's 4-2-3-1 group-stage selection logic.

Caicedo brings Ecuador's £10m pick its defensive-midfield foundation: holding-midfield interceptions, screening in front of the back four and the press-resistant carrying that underpinned Ecuador's CONMEBOL qualifying record of just five goals conceded in 18 games. The £10m slot pays off through that defensive platform.