Moisés Caicedo received a red card in a decisive match after an emotional scene with his mother.

According to The Sun: Moisés Caicedo kissed his mother before the important match of Ecuador against Argentina in the World Cup qualifiers.

However, his mood changed drastically after receiving a red card right before his mother's eyes.

Caicedo, 23, missed the previous match due to a minor injury but was fully prepared for the encounter with the reigning world champions in Guayaquil.

Before the game, there was an emotional moment when his mother Carmen came onto the field to hand the ball to the referee, receiving support from 59,000 spectators in the stadium.

After greeting the crowd with kisses, Caicedo hurried to her.

Mother and son embraced warmly and kissed each other on the cheeks.

This is not the first time Carmen has supported her son in his career.

When Caicedo signed a contract with Chelsea for £115 million in 2023, she helped him recreate an emotional childhood photo of him sitting in a car trunk wearing a Chelsea shirt.

On-field troubles

Unfortunately, the situation for Chelsea's midfielder worsened five minutes into the second half when he received a straight red card.

Caicedo already had a yellow card when he struck Nicolás González in one of the duels.

The Argentine displayed severe pain, although the contact was minimal, and his teammates immediately appealed to referee Wilmar Roldán.

The referee showed a second yellow card, followed by the red, shocking Caicedo as he will likely miss Ecuador's first match in the 2026 World Cup due to suspension.

A well deserved red card to Caicedo! pic.twitter.com/hUQsT6gAQ4

— MC (@CrewsMat10) September 10, 2025

Fans could not believe the referee's decision. One wrote: “Shame, such officiating.” Another noted: “This is so unfair.” And a third added: “This is never a red card.”

The situation with Caicedo's red card resulted in the match ending with ten players on each team, as Nicolás Otamendi was also sent off in the first half for a foul on Enner Valencia.

However, after four consecutive matches ending in draws, Ecuador achieved victory with the only goal of the game from a controversial penalty by Valencia in the 13th minute of stoppage time in the first half, winning the match 1-0.

This success allowed Ecuador to finish the qualifying campaign in second place behind Argentina, earning 29 points from 18 matches.