After 100 games with United, Bailey still doesn't take anything for granted
Zico Bailey knew the milestone was close. A hint here, another there made it difficult not to be curious.
They occasionally came, naturally, in the form of numbers. Sometimes on a computer screen. Others printed on the pages of a rather young — and still expanding — club record book. And when those failed to catch Bailey’s attention, his teammates made sure to remind him with some good-natured teasing.
Hints that continued to get a little louder as the number of matches grew until there was no longer a need.
Wednesday marked the midfielder’s 100th appearance with New Mexico United, a 2-1 win over Lexington SC. A day before his 26th birthday.
“The first (thing) that comes to mind is gratitude,” Bailey said. “Extremely grateful to be in this position. I know what it’s like to not be on the field and not playing, and not important to the team. So every single time I step on the field, I feel extremely blessed. I definitely don’t take it for granted.”
Celebrating his birthday and a big milestone
Happy birthday and congratulations on reaching 100 appearances in Black and Yellow Have a beautiful day, Zico! #SomosUnidos pic.twitter.com/QYI6PmM0Ed
— New Mexico United (@NewMexicoUTD) August 27, 2026
Bailey has no reason to.
As he said, it’s a journey that’s filled with starts and stops — and a few more starts and stops after that. It’s also one he believes was written for him in a way. Almost right from the beginning.
Thanks, in part, to his father Richard.
It was Richard, a Jamaican who grew up in Barbados, who chose Bailey’s first name. A way to honor one of his favorite players. He went with the nickname of a legendary Brazilian simply known as Zico, a five-time World Cup participant, a three-time South American Football of the Year honoree and one of the men Pelé named to the FIFA 100 in 2004.
Soccer seemed only natural with a name like that.
Richard was the one to introduce each of his sons to soccer and pass along his passion for the sport — and all the highs and lows that come with it. But it was Bailey’s oldest brother, Kainoa, who helped foster Zico’s desire and drive.
“When I was younger, whatever Kainoa did, I wanted to do,” said Bailey, who is five years younger. “So, he played soccer, I played soccer. If he skateboarded, I wanted to skateboard.”
Soccer, unsurprisingly, won out.
Kainoa became a professional first, last playing for Cebu in the Philippine’s top flight in 2025-26. Zico soon followed.
He made his debut with LA Galaxy II in the USL as an academy player in 2017 before spending one season at Cal State Fullerton and then turning professional full time. It quickly turned into a path that tested Bailey more than anything.
There were stints in the Swedish top league and Danish’s second division that never yielded any playing time. And when he returned to the United States to play for MLS’s FC Cincinnati, that never materialized into anything concrete, either. Between 2020-22, Bailey appeared in just 19 matches for Cincinnati. He played in 17 others for the club’s MLS Next Pro team. At the end of the 2022 season, Bailey was cut.
San Antonio FC offered him an opportunity to play for the club in the USL Championship in 2023 — first on a 25-day contract and then on a permanent basis. The parties parted in August.
Perhaps it was Bailey’s listed 5-foot-7 and 148-pound frame that worried some. Maybe it was his skillset. He still showcased enough to catch United’s attention and the club decided Bailey was worth a chance.
“We have been monitoring Zico for some time,” sporting director Itamar Keinan said when Bailey’s signing was announced five days after his San Antonio exit. “So when the opportunity arose to bring him on board, we knew we wanted to do it.”
It’s paid off. For United. For Bailey.
The midfielder agreed to a contract extension in 2025 that will run through the end of this season. New Mexico also has an option to bring Bailey back in 2027.
Overall, he’s currently United’s second-longest tenured player behind forward Greg Hurst.
“He’s definitely a leader, you know?” defender Kipp Keller said. “He leads by example. He’s running for people, he’s getting guys going. He’s a class player.
“… If anyone hit him, I’d make sure to set the tone afterwards.”
By example means being on the pitch a whole lot more. No one (other than some opponents) is complaining.
Bailey has appeared and started in 22 of United’s 24 official matches — the regular season, USL Cup and U.S. Open Cup — this year. He’s played a little more than 1,900 total minutes, including the full time on 18 occasions. He’s completing more than 89% of his passes and has more than 1,300 touches.
It has helped New Mexico (11-4-4) not only looking to extend its unbeaten streak to 15 for statistical purposes across all competitions and 14 against USL opponents heading into Saturday’s match against San Antonio (8-5-8), but to build its lead atop the Western Conference table.
“He’s a guy, that if you look, maybe he doesn’t get the attention that he deserves,” manager Dennis Sanchez said. “But he is so paramount to our team’s success with and without the ball. His consistency? I think he’s played 10 90-minute games in a row. There’s so much that we depend on with him.”
Sanchez was close. It’s actually nine of United’s last 10. He was off by 60 seconds. Bailey only logged 89 minutes at Lexington SC on July 15.
But that’s OK. Really, it’s all Bailey has wanted.
No hints. No innuendos. Just a direct approach.
“I’m a team player,” Bailey said. “I want to give my best. I want to work hard. I want to show my teammates that I have quality. I want to show people in the stands I have quality.”
So far, there’s been 100 chances and counting.
David Glovach covers New Mexico United and other sports for the Journal. Reach him at dglovach@abqjournal.com or via X @DavidGlovach.
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