,type=downsize)
Colombia is playing tonight, at the Fifa Women’s World Cup. Linda Caicedo is one of the players we expect to see playing against South Korea, at 10 pm EDT, and has an inspiring story for women and athletes playing all sorts of sports. Scroll down to learn more about her.
She is a cancer survivor
Caicedo was diagnosed with ovarian cancer when she was 15 years old, a diagnosis that proved to be a challenge for her career as an athlete.“I remember I was going into surgery one day and I was feeling really bad because I thought that I was not going to be able to play top-level football again,” said Caicedo according to AP News. She said her coach, Nelson Abadia, provided encouragement and assured her she’d be back to play.
Caicedo has spoken about the challenges of her cancer diagnosis, particularly on her mind. “Mentally, it was a very difficult moment in my life,” she said to Fifa. “I'm forever grateful that it happened when I was very young. I was able to recover, I also had my family's support, and I feel very good now. What happened made me grow. I feel thankful and happy to be here,” she said.
Caicedo plays for Real Madrid
Caicedo is a forward for Real Madrid. She previously played in Deportivo Cali, and transferred to the legendary Spanish club in February of this year. Despite the towering legacy of Madrid, Caicedo hasn’t been intimidated by the change, and claims she hasn’t had trouble adapting to the Spanish way of playing soccer. “I feel like I’ve done well in the short time I’ve been in Spain. Moving to the country hasn’t been a major culture shock,” she said in an interview with Claro Sports.
Since her debut in Madrid, Caicedo has played in 10 matches, has scored 2 goals and has had four assists.
She played a pivotal part in World Cup qualifiers
Caicedo was ranked as the best player in 2022’s Copa America. Her performance was incredibly important in helping Colombia qualify for the Women’s World Cup. Colombia’s last World Cup appearance was in the year 2015, when they reached the round of 16.
How to watch the match
You can watch the Women’s World Cup in Spanish on Telemundo and in English on Fox Sports. Every match will also be streaming live on Peacock. You can read more information here.