Linda CAICEDO

After months of gruelling medical procedures and chemotherapy, Caicedo bravely resumed her training with her club, sometimes wearing a wig to conceal her ordeal.

Linda Caicedo: Journey from Early Years to Stardom

Born on February 22, 2005, in Candelaria, Valle del Cauca, Caicedo scored seven times in seven games in her debut season with America de Cali - including a crucial goal in the second leg of the final - to secure the side's first-ever league title.

After joining Deportivo Cali, and recovering from cancer, she won the league for a second time. She also made her debut in the Copa Libertadores Femenina, scoring four goals.

Linda Caicedo's Triumphant 2023

In 2022, Caicedo led Colombia to the final of the Copa América Femenina which secured her nation a quota spot at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. She was named the tournament's best player and continued her outstanding form into the new year.

She achieved the remarkable feat of representing her national team in three different World Cup competitions across three different age groups: U-17, U-20, and the full senior side at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

At the FIFA Women's World Cup, she was the Cafeteras' stand-out player, scoring in the win over Republic of Korea and producing one of the goals of the competition in the historic victory over Germany. Colombia reached the quarter-finals where they went out to eventual runners-up England.

After the tournament, she reflected, "I'm still growing, and that pressure is difficult sometimes, but that’s why you need to find physical and mental balance. I try to see everything that has happened to me as a good thing and try to have fun because playing football is my passion."

In July 2023, Caicedo signed for Spanish giants Real Madrid Women. Expect her to make her presence felt at Paris 2024.