Xavier Valdez

Xavier William Valdez Derrig is a professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Major League Soccer club Nashville SC. Born in the United States, he plays for the Dominican Republic national team.

Club career

Born in New York City, Valdez began his youth career with Manhattan SC where he played as a winger, and after a growth spurt was switched to a goalkeeper. He moved to Minnesota as a sophomore in high school, and joined Shattuck-Saint Mary's where he continued playing football. After a couple of seasons there, he joined the youth academy at Houston Dynamo in July 2020. On 27 February 2022, he signed a homegrown contract with Houston Dynamo. On November 7, 2024, his contract option was declined by Houston following their 2024 season.
On 10 January 2025, Valdez signed with Nashville SC on a one-year contract with club options for both of the following two years.

International career

Valdez was born in the United States to a Dominican father and American mother. In April 2022, he was called up to a training camp for the United States U20s. He played for the Dominican Republic U20s at the 2022 CONCACAF U-20 Championship, where the team finished in second place. He was also called up for the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He made his debut with the senior Dominican Republic national team in a friendly 5–0 loss to Chile on 17 June 2023.