Diego Valeri named one of 25 greatest players in MLS history

It’s official, even if Rose City already knew it. Portland Timbers midfielder Diego Valeri was officially named to Major League Soccer’s The 25 Greatest list, which recognizes the 25 most decorated and impactful players in the league’s history.

Valeri has been a superstar ever since joining the club in 2013. He is the franchise leader in goals scored (84), assists (88), and points (256) for the regular season. He’s second in games played (233) and started (220) during the MLS era. Expand his stats to all competitions and he has 96 goals and 100 assists in 273 appearances (233 starts).

The Argentinian midfielder has earned numerous accolades during his time in Portland. The four-time All-Star has been the Timbers Players’ Player of the Year twice (2014, 2017) and Supporters’ Player of the Year three times (2014, 2016, 2017). He was the team’s leading scorer five different times and was the MLS Cup MVP during their 2015 championship run. His best season was when he won league MVP back in 2017, when he scored a team-record 21 goals along with 11 assists.

This year, Valeri put together another solid season, tying for the team-lead in goals and assists at 8 and 7 respectively. He is one of only four players to have recorded seven or more assists in eight consecutive seasons. He also became the third player in MLS history to have 80 goals and 80 assists in the regular season throughout their career.

You can read the full list of 25 players here.