Sometimes life takes us on paths once traveled by those before us. San Diego FC midfielder Onni Valakari found himself in this position when he stepped up to take a penalty kick against FC Dallas, the former club of his father, Simo Valakari, during the fourth match of the 2026 season.
The Scotland-born midfielder began playing soccer at the age of six in Dallas, Texas, where his father played for the Dallas Burn (now FC Dallas). Years later, the journey came full circle, as he went on to become a midfielder in Major League Soccer (MLS).
Growing up with a father who played professionally, the love for the game was always part of his life. While he explored multiple sports, he knew from an early age that soccer was his path.
"I played basketball and baseball, I did gymnastics, I played soccer and soccer was the only training that I wanted to go to,” said Valakari. “Everything else, I felt like it was a waste of time, and I just felt like my parents forced me to do other sports, but football was always number one for me.”
The Finnish international shared how he wasn’t forced to play football or to follow in his father’s footsteps. The day-to-day routine of going to training with his father became second nature.
“I don't know if I was brainwashed into football. It was the only thing I knew. I thought it was normal to be a football player when you were a kid because that's what you see around you. A father goes to his games, I watched his games,” said Valakari. “I remember my parents asked me what I wanted to do when I was a kid. I said, ‘I want to become a professional football player.’ And they told me there's no school for that. I was talking with my mother and she's like, I just didn't understand it because my father was a professional football player, so then I was like, ‘why can’t I be?’ I really never had another option. I was just thinking about becoming a professional football player.”
As the second youngest, he remained close to his family, especially since they frequently moved for his father’s career. Having five brothers made the constant moving easier to adjust because they weren’t alone; they had each other.
“When we were kids, we had a lot of fights and a lot of competitions. I think it was a good thing, like, I've been competing my whole life since I was a kid and obviously, because we were moving around with a big family with my father playing in different countries,” said Valakari. “It helped I had brothers close to me before I got new friends in a new place. So, we're all really close and it was fun growing up. It must have been tough for my mother that it was six crazy boys, but it was it was fun.”
All six played soccer growing up, but he is the only one who plays professionally today. The midfielder began his youth career at Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho (SJK) in Finland’s Veikkausliiga, making his professional debut in the Finnish Cup on January 20, 2017. He later joined Turun Palloseura (TPS) in Finland’s Ykkösliiga in 2017, where he made 33 appearances, scored 11 goals, and provided two assists across all competitions.
A year later, Valakari moved to Norway's Eliteserien with Tromsø IL, where he made 45 appearances (39 starts), scoring nine goals and one assist before joining Pafos FC in 2020. The midfielder spent four seasons with the Cypriot side Pafos FC before joining SDFC on loan for the 2025 season, contributing five goals and 12 assists across 39 regular season and postseason matches in the Club’s inaugural season. Valakari has also represented Finland since the age of 20, making 13 appearances across six seasons.
Valakari not only scored the Club's first-ever home goal of the 2025 MLS Regular Season against the Columbus Crew but also found the net in the Club's first postseason match against the Portland Timbers, cementing his name into San Diego FC history. The midfielder isn’t one to focus on individual moments, but rather the team’s success.
“I didn't really think about it too much, because it wasn't our first game. We already had one game at home and that was 0-0, so I think it was just important that we broke the deadlock and after that I think we scored a lot of goals. I was happy about that at that moment to get a goal,” said Valakari. “I don't think about it like special occasions, like, oh, this was the first goal. I don't think of it like that. I just try to help the team and do my best always when I'm on the field.”
SDFC went on to exercise his permanent transfer option in December 2025, ensuring a contract through 2028 with an option for 2029. When Valakari isn’t on the pitch, he enjoys relaxing at home or spending time with teammates.
"I call my family, when my girlfriend is here, I spend time with her, I like to play darts. That's something I like to do; I have a dart board at home in the middle of the living room. I don't know if my girlfriend is too happy about that, killing the vibe there, but that's because she was the one who made the house our home, basically, all the furniture she picked,” said Valakari. “One day when she was not here, I just bought a dart board in the middle of the living room and I've just been doing that myself; that's something I like to do. Obviously, we spend time with the other families here. We do stuff together. So outside of football, I feel like I'm a chill guy. I get along with everybody.”
With a smile on his face, the midfielder shared how he is the best at darts and that none of his teammates can compete.
“I hope they can practice a little bit more so we can have a little tighter games, but nobody's won against me so far,” said Valakari.
It took just one week for the midfielder to pack up and move to San Diego in 2025, and now it has become his home. With his extension, Valakari is happy he isn’t going anywhere and expressed his gratitude to the Club’s fans.
"Know that every game we play, we put our heart and soul for them (our fans). We give our absolute everything,” said Valakari. "We try to entertain them and give them great emotions and just keep on turning up because it's so valuable for us that we see them every time we walk out.”
Join Valakari and the squad for the 2026 season, secure your tickets here. Stay connected beyond matchday by following him on Instagram.
