Back in 2013, an Argentinian soccer player named Diego Valeri signed for Portland Timbers. At this point, he admitted that he’d never heard of the city before and had literally been in the USA once previously, for a singular soccer game. However, after eight years of playing for the Timbers, he left as a true legend. This wasn’t just in soccer terms, but also in terms of what he did for the overall city of Portland.

The reason for this is that he went on to become the team’s all-time leading goalscorer, with over 100 goals in all competitions. He also won the MLS and simultaneously won the MVP award in the same season. In 2021, he left to return to his boyhood club Lanus in Argentina, where he played a further 9 games until his retirement. So, what happened next?

After retiring from soccer, it’s fair to say that Valeri has still got Portland in his heart. There are two reasons that indicate this. The first is that he’s due to have a testimonial match that will take part at some point in 2023. This will be held in Portland and will be a friendly game between his two main clubs, Portland and Lanus. At this point, a date hasn’t been arranged – but you can expect it to be at some point during the summer.

Secondly, he has also returned to US soil and has admitted he would like to re-visit Portland (if possible) with his work. This is because in 2023 he joined the Apple MLS broadcasting team as a Spanish commentator for MLS games. It seems that even though he’s left the club, its culture is deep-rooted into his consciousness and even though he’s long-since retired, the story of Diego Valeri and Portland is a love affair that will never die!