Real Salt Lake Attacker Fidel Barajas Called into Mexican U-20 Camp

March 4, 2024 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – Real Salt Lake News Release

HERRIMAN, Utah – Real Salt Lake attacking wunderkind Fidel Barajas departed Utah today to participate in this week’s Mexican U20 camp, but will return to the Club ahead of Saturday’s Rocky Mountain Cup tilt Saturday at America First Field (7:30p MT kickoff; tickets available at www.RSL.com/tickets. The Sacramento-born, 17-year-old Barajas was acquired by RSL in early January from the Charleston Battery (USL Championship). Barajas, previously an active member of Mexico’s U-17 setup, appeared in each of RSL’s first two Major League Soccer regular-season contests at Miami and at St. Louis this year, and scored two goals for the Club in its Portugal and Santa Barbara-based preseason.

“What attracts us to guys like Fidel as a prospect – and Diego Luna before him – is the track record behind them, playing professionally at a young age and competing with men,” said RSL Sporting Director and interim Chief Soccer Officer Kurt Schmid upon Fidel’s signing. “It is difficult to step up to those levels and deal with the physical challenges as well as the technical and tactical challenges that are presented. Everyone’s bigger, faster, stronger and there’s reduced space and time on the ball. So Fidel’s ability to adjust to that quickly, certainly grabs our attention and gives us something that we can build on, and gives him a foundation as he adapts to the next level in MLS.”

On the global stage, Barajas has featured for the Mexican U-17 national team in 25 matches, scoring eight goals. The Sacramento-born starlet – the third USL-to-RSL acquisition since May, 2022, following the footsteps of MF Diego Luna (El Paso) and D/M Kevin Lambert (Phoenix) – also boasts five appearances in 2022/23 for the U.S. U-17 national team. Last year, Barajas secured silverware with Mexico by winning the 2023 CONCACAF U-17 Championship, guiding El Trito continental glory with three goals and five assists in the regional tourney, later shining in the FIFA U-17 World Cup, tallying one goal and one assist while featuring in all four Mexico contests.

“I’m really excited, especially going from USL to MLS and picking an amazing club like Real Salt Lake, I’m just really excited,” said Barajas back in January. “I look at players like Diego Luna and the history of the Club, how RSL brings along young talents and provides them minutes from the first game and open up possibilities to go to Europe. This is the direction I want to…