Fidel Barajas has completed a permanent transfer to Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer and leaves a legacy rich with records, accolades and accomplishments while with the Battery.
Barajas first signed with the Battery on Sept. 2, 2022, at 16 years old and would develop into one of the league’s best players under Head Coach Ben Pirmann’s guidance in 2023.
The 17-year-old ended 2023 by winning the USL Championship Young Player of the Year award, earning All-League Second Team honors and being named to The Guardian’s Next Generation 2023 (which is the British newspaper’s annual report of the top 60 young soccer players across the globe). He was also honored by his fellow players by winning the USL Players Association Young Player of the Year award for the Championship.
Barajas was the Championship’s leader in assists with 11 across the regular season and playoffs en route to securing the Eastern Conference trophy.
His Battery tenure is capped off with 13 assists and five goals in 37 appearances across all competitions from 2022 to 2023. His five tallies were a showcase of his lethal accuracy from any space in front of goal.
The writing was on the wall for where Barajas’ game could take him after his emphatic pro debut against Hartford on Oct. 1, 2022, when he recorded an assist within minutes of entering the match off the bench.
Barajas inscribed his name into the club and league record books throughout the 2023 campaign.
At 16 years, 11 months and 20 days old, Barajas became the youngest goalscorer in club history when he scored his first career pro goal on March 25 against Tampa Bay. His 11 assists matched a single-season club record that had been standing for 23 years prior (Temoc Suarez, 11 in 2000).
With a two-assist game on July 22 against Pittsburgh, Barajas became the fourth-youngest player in Championship history to achieve the feat. He was later the ninth-youngest player in league history to notch a two-goal game, which he did on Sept. 23 against Tulsa.
Barajas was named to the league’s Team of the Week three times in 2023 and was a nominee for March Player of the Month.
He was later featured in Transfermarkt’s end-of-year Talents Calendar, which highlighted the best young talents around the world.
On the international stage, Barajas was no stranger to success and began 2023 by leading Mexico to win the Concacaf U-17 Championship. He started all seven of El Tri’s matches while tallying three goals and five assists. His five helpers ranked second-most overall in the tournament.
The Concacaf victory punched Barajas and Mexico’s ticket to the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup later in the year. Barajas shined on the world stage with one goal and one assist across Mexico’s four matches.
In total, Barajas has 25 caps and eight goals for the Mexico U-17 national team. He also featured in five contests with the U.S. U-17 national team prior to joining the Battery.
Barajas now joins a club in Real Salt Lake who have strong ties to European sides such as Crystal Palace (Premier League), Estoril (Liga Portugal), Alcorcón (La Liga 2) and Brøndby IF (Danish Superliga), among others.
The club thanks Fidel for his dedication to the Battery and Charleston community and wishes him the best of luck in his new adventure in MLS and beyond.
