Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo began his World Cup with a defeat as Ecuador lost 1-0 to the Ivory Coast.
As expected, Caicedo started in the middle after FIFA waived his ban following an initial one-game suspension for a red card during qualifiers.
The 24-year-old is considered to be Ecuador’s best player and is also one of Chelsea’s most important squad members.
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7. Josh Acheampong
6. Estevao Willian
5. Levi Colwill
4. Moises Caicedo
3. Joao Pedro
2. Reece James
1. Cole Palmer
Moises Caicedo furious after not being allowed back on the pitch because of new FIFA rule
There was one moment in the game that left Caicedo far from happy as he vented his frustration at the referee.
A new IFAB rule implemented at this year’s World Cup meant Caicedo had to wait a minute before being allowed to return to the pitch.
Players who go down without being fouled and cause the match to be stopped for treatment must now leave the pitch for a whole minute.
The law has been put in place to try to prevent time wasting, but you would have to question whether Caicedo was trying to do such a thing so early in the match.
Sebastian Beccacece will want Caicedo to avoid any serious trouble with referees this tournament due to his importance to the team.
Again, he remains key for Chelsea as well. It has even been reported that Chelsea deem Caicedo untouchable.
How Moises Caicedo fared against Ivory Coast
In terms of Caicedo’s performance against the Ivory Coast, his first-half display was good.
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The Chelsea man was getting on the ball and helping his team keep it, while he also got back and made himself a nuisance as he usually does.
However, he faded quite a bit in the second 45 minutes as the Ivory Coast became the more dominant side.
All in all, it was not Caicedo’s best game, but those who follow the former Brighton & Hove Albion man closely would have seen him play much worse in the second half of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign.
Next up for Caicedo and Ecuador in Group E is a clash against Curacao.
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