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.[2] 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.[3] On 27 February 2022, he signed a homegrown contract with Houston Dynamo.[4]