Fidel Barajas: Charleston Battery wonderkid has talent for the "highest European level"

Fidel Barajas: Charleston Battery and Mexico wonderkid has talent for the

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It has been a turbulent season for Fidel Barajas. The 17-year-old Sacramento, California native was a key player for his club team, Charleston Battery, which narrowly lost the USL Championship final against Phoenix Rising (3-4 on pens) and represented the country of his parents, Mexico, at the U17 World Cup in Indonesia. As it is the case for many young Americans with a Mexican background, Barajas had to make a difficult choice between the country of his birth and the country of his parents.

Although Barajas has played 25 games (eight goals) for Mexico’s U17, the left and right midfielder also played five games for the United States U17 and U16 teams in 2022. Transfermarkt caught up with Barajas following the World Cup. “It was such an amazing experience to be able to represent Mexico in the U-17 World Cup,” said Barajas, who featured in all three group stage games for his country and the 5-0 defeat to Mali in the round of 16. "It is one that I won’t ever forget. Being able to play on such a big stage like the World Cup has given me confidence in myself which I can apply to my club team going forward."

Playing at the tournament also meant that Barajas would miss the USL Championship semifinal against Louisville City (2-1) and also the final against Phoenix Rising. “Fidel is a very courageous player,” Charleston Battery head coach Ben Pirmann said when asked about Barajas’ season for the Battery. “Of course, as a 16-year-old year playing senior football last year, he had a lot to improve. But because of his fearlessness and desire to win, he gets better each week at a very rapid rate.”

Fidel Barajas: "One of the better attacking players" in the USL

Indeed, Barajas’ performances in the playoffs underlined a fantastic regular season in which the midfielder, who can play both on the left and the right, scored four goals and nine assists in 30 games. In fact, Barajas became the youngest scorer in Charleston Battery’s club history when scored against the Tampa Bay Rowdies on matchday 3 (3-0) this season, aged 16 years, 11 months, and 21 days.

Then, in the playoffs, Barajas added another goal and two assists in the games against Indy Eleven (5-0) and Birmingham Legion FC (2-1). Indeed, Barajas felt that the playoff experience was important ahead of the World Cup in Indonesia. “As the days got closer for me to travel to Indonesia, I had this nervous energy, but the experience of the USL Playoffs gave me confidence,” Barajas said. “The confidence and form that I had in the playoffs will help me perform at my best for Mexico at the World Cup.”

Although it meant that they would miss a key player in a game they would ultimately lose, Charleston, too were excited about sending a player to the U17 World Cup. “Representing your country, your family, and yourself at a World Cup is an incredible honor,” Pirmann said. “He has shown that he is one of the better-attacking players at the tournament and throughout the USL, as well as around the world in his age bracket. To be able to showcase himself, the Charleston Battery, and Mexico at the World Cup is tremendous. It is a wonderful experience, one that he will cherish with his family forever. It also shows areas where he can continue to improve but put himself on a stage for others to see.”

Soon on a list with Wynder, Henry & Co.? - European top clubs want Barajas

Prioritizing player development over club success has been one of the hallmarks of the USL Championship in recent years. Indeed, Barajas could soon join a list of young players that include Joshua Wynder (from Louisville to Benfica), Kobi Henry (from Orange County to Stade Reims), José Gallegos (from San Antonio FC to SönderjyskE), Diego Luna (from El Paso to Real Salt Lake City) and Korede Osundina (from Orange County to Feyenoord).

But what sort of player is Barajas? “Fidel has an incredible ability to strike the ball; he is mainly left-footed, but he has shown at all levels that he can score with his right foot as well,” Primann said. “He can cross, play short and long passes, and is dangerous on free kicks. He is dangerous on the dribble but doesn’t have explosive speed yet, so he must have the ball close to his feet. He plays much wiser and stronger than most teenagers of the same age group.” Although Barajas' favorite player is Lionel Messi, he models his game after Argentine winger Ángel di Maria. "My strengths would be probably my left foot, my shot from outside the box, my 1-on-1’s against defenders," Barajas said when asked by Transfermarkt. "Areas I have improved the most would be my right foot; my shot and just control with my right foot have been something I’ve been focusing on improving."

Those abilities have already played him in the notebooks of several European clubs. Transfermarkt understands that Atlético Madrid, PSV Eindhoven, and several Major League Soccer clubs are interested in Barajas. And Pirmann has no doubt that Barajas can strive at the highest level. “Fidel has such a strong and mature mentality, a growth mindset, he will continue to improve,” Pirmann said. “He has a lot of natural ability and talent, he works very hard and puts the team first, and is aggressive against the ball. If he continues to develop that mindset of doing what his team needs, I believe he can be a player who is involved in at the highest European level.” Playing in Europe and featuring at the 2026 World Cup are Barajas main goals. But he knows he has to put in the work to get there. "So, for now, it’s all about putting in the hard work and letting my game speak for itself," Barajas said.

From December 1 to 24, we introduce new players from different countries born in 2006 and 2007. Area managers, users, and data scouts come into play as experts throughout the series. You can follow all those players by adding them to your TM watchlist.