O. Valencia

Omar Valencia came through the youth ranks at C.D. Plaza Amador in Panama City before making his professional debut for the club in February 2022. Within months, New York Red Bulls took him on loan, and he spent the following two seasons with New York Red Bulls II. A brief return to Plaza Amador in late 2023 preceded a permanent move back to New York, completed at the end of January 2024. He was promoted to the first team in late 2024 and signed through 2027, with an option for a further year.

On the international stage, Valencia made his senior debut for Panama against Uruguay in June 2022. He was included in the squad that reached the final of the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup, and a year later featured at the 2024 Copa América, where Panama progressed to the quarter-finals. That tournament appearance made him the first active MLS Next Pro player to take part in the Copa América.

It is in the current MLS campaign that Valencia has made his clearest mark. Through the opening weeks of the 2025 season, the left-back set up five assists in nine matches, breaking the previous record for assists by a Panamanian player in a single MLS season. His form was recognised after New York Red Bulls' 7-0 win over LA Galaxy, when he was named to the MLS Team of the Week.