Colombian Women’s World Cup star Linda Caicedo overcame ovarian cancer at the age of 15 to fulfill her soccer dream…

Linda Caicedo’s twinkling toes have already scared the hell out of Germany and the Women’s World Cup breakaway star now has England in her sights.

The Colombian sensation, just 18, wowed audiences worldwide during the tournament – but she’s already conquered so much just to enter the football field.

Three years ago, Caicedo battled ovarian cancer amid the depths of the Covid-19 pandemic and her prospects of even playing the game again, let alone winning a World Cup, were uncertain.

Fortunately, Caicedo, who was only 15 when diagnosed, recovered from her illness and resumed a career that has now taken a stratospheric trajectory.

Her goals against South Korea and Germany lit up the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, helping Colombia reach the knockout stage for the second time.

The 18-year-old striker scored in Colombia’s group matches against South Korea and Germany

They defeated Jamaica in their last 16 match on Tuesday to set up a quarter-final clash with reigning European champions England.

Sarina Wiegman and her Lionesses, regarded as one of the World Cup favourites, will be all too aware that Real Madrid striker Caicedo can hurt them if they are not careful.

You only have to watch the way she displayed silky smooth footwork to deceive two German defenders before curling the ball into the top corner to score.

That goal helped Colombia on their way to a surprise 2-1 victory and just a few days later, Germany, number 2 in the world rankings and always regarded as one of the favorite teams, flew home.

Colombia lost their last group game 1-0 to Morocco, but still finished top of Group H and no one will really feel like taking on them.

Caicedo became the youngest player to score more than once in a women’s World Cup since Brazil’s Marta (who was 17 at the time) and Canada’s Kara Lang (16) did so in 2003.

Now Caicedo is being dubbed the ‘Colombian Neymar’ in reference to another Brazilian great. Comparisons with Neymar or Marta are indeed high praise.

Linda Lizeth Caicedo Alegria was born in a small farming village called Candelaria, 27 km from Cali, one of the largest cities in Colombia.

In 2020, at the age of 15, Caicedo was diagnosed with ovarian cancer during the Covid pandemic

Caicedo feared she would not be able to play again, but recovered within a few months

The striker was named Player of the Match after Colombia beat Germany 2-1 in Sydney

When she was only five years old, she walked onto the football field of Club Real Juanchito, holding her mother Herlinda’s hand and began an extraordinary journey.

No doubt her mother was looking for an outlet for the young girl who “kicked everything around the house,” including utensils and even her dolls.

Although the local soccer academy was boys-only, club president Rafael Murillo was so enamored with Caicedo’s skills that he mentored her and found her a women’s team, Generaciones Palmiranas.

Remarkably, Caicedo was on Colombian national coach Nelson Abadia’s radar at just 12 years old, she was that good.

At the age of 14, she had made her professional debut for America de Cali and scored what turned out to be the game-winning goal. She would finish as the league’s top scorer that season.

She transferred to city rivals Deportivo Cali in February 2020, but at that point Caicedo’s career took a dramatic turn.

The teen developed abdominal pain and was initially treated for gastritis. But the pain didn’t go away and doctors would eventually diagnose ovarian cancer.

Caicedo underwent surgery two weeks later to remove the tumor, which included the removal of one of her ovaries.

She understandably struggled with the doctor’s instructions not to play football, but as Covid tightened its grip around the world, there was still no football to play.

Abadia assured Caicedo that the cancer was not the end of her soccer dreams.

“I had surgery one day and I felt really bad, like I couldn’t play football at the highest level anymore,” she recalls.

“But he said ‘calm down, you’ll be back’.”

After six months of chemotherapy, Caicedo did just that, returning to training just days after being declared cancer-free in September 2020.

World Cup star Caicedo excitedly greets schoolchildren during a training session in Bogota

Her football journey started on these fields in Villagorgona in Valle del Cauca in Colombia

Rafael Murillo was the founder of Juanchito Real Football Club and an early mentor to Caicedo

Her parents Mauro and Helinda Alegria with a poster of their daughter at their home

A collection of memorabilia from Caicedo’s early career in her parents’ home

“I feel like it helps you grow for better or for worse. It was a bad experience, but then it turned into something positive,” Caicedo said.

She was successfully reintegrated into the Deportivo Cali squad and by 2022, Caicedo remarkably played in four different tournaments for Colombia’s teams: the South American Under-17 Championship, the Women’s Under-20 World Cup, the Under-17 World Cup and the Copa America . women.

In the latter, Caicedo was named the tournament’s best player, despite Colombia’s narrow 1–0 defeat to Brazil in the final.

Her performances landed her a dream move to Spanish giant Real Madrid just before her 18th birthday in February 2023.

There were renewed concerns about Caicedo’s health when she collapsed clutching her chest during pre-match World Cup training in Germany.

The Caicedo family’s house is already turning into a gleam of their daughter’s soccer achievements

Footage showed the 18-year-old grabbing her chest before falling to the floor during training

Caicedo was unconscious and rushed to hospital before being released on Friday

Further concerns about Caicedo’s health emerged when she fell to the turf against Germany

Medical staff said Caicedo was “very tired” and “what happened was just a symptom of all the stress and physical demands” – and that she was able to recover to face Germany.

But medics rushed onto the pitch when she collapsed again in the game against Germany to raise further concerns.

Caicedo was already a household name and poster girl in her home country of Colombia, but Caicedo’s performances at the World Cup have now made her famous all over the world.

England has been warned.