18-Year-Old Cancer Survivor Linda Caicedo ‘Extremely Happy’ After Scoring in World Cup Debut

Caicedo was diagnosed with ovarian cancer when she was 15 years old, one year after first debuting for Colombia's national team

Linda Caicedo flashed a huge smile and danced with her Colombian teammates after scoring in her World Cup debut Monday night.

The 18-year-old star forward for Colombia has already become one of the inspirational stories of the Women’s World Cup, just one round into the tournament.

Caicedo, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at 15 years old, has now scored in three World Cup tournaments this year, netting goals in the under-17 women’s World Cup, the under-20 women’s World Cup, and now scoring in her debut match for the Colombian women’s national team on the biggest stage.

“She is not even close to fulfilling her potential,” CBS Sports soccer analyst Charlie Davies said. “She’s a fun one to watch.”

After Caicedo’s electric debut, she told reporters “I am extremely happy” for how she and her team played, defeating South Korea 2-0 in the team’s opening match.

"The feeling the group had going onto the pitch, we were a bit anxious, we wanted the World Cup to start, and we wanted to start off on the right foot,” she said, according to ESPN. “This was something crucial. Very happy for the goal and the victory."

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Though winning is Caicedo’s focus, she also said she’s making it a point to cherish her debut with her country’s senior national team.

“It is my first World Cup with the senior team and therefore I have to enjoy this tournament,” Caicedo said, according to the Associated Press. “No pressure. I know how young I am, everything that I [still] have to learn, the experience that I have to get.”

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Caicedo first made her debut with the Colombian senior women’s national team when she was 14 years old, but her career briefly stalled after being diagnosed with cancer a year later. “I just try to enjoy this moment,” she said. “A football player has to be focused.”

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She was able to break that focus for a brief moment after her goal, which put Colombia up 2-0 in the first half. Caicedo hugged her teammates and then broke out into a coordinated dance, before flashing a heart to the cameras on the sideline.

“She brings joy to everyone,” Colombia’s assistant coach Mario Abadia said, according to the AP. “It’s great to see such players, how they evolve and how they take ownership of such a game like she did.”

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