{{Short description|Colombian-American footballer and beach soccer player}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Nicolás Perea | image = | image_size = | fullname = Nicolás Perea | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1992|8|6}} | birth_place = Bucaramanga, Colombia | height = {{convert|1.83|m|abbr=on}} | position = Midfielder | currentclub = | clubnumber = | collegeyears1 = 2011–2014 | college1 = Syracuse Orange | collegecaps1 = 76 | collegegoals1 = 10 | years1 = 2013 | clubs1 = Ocean City Nor'easters | caps1 = 12 | goals1 = 2 | years2 = 2014 | clubs2 = K-W United FC | caps2 = 9 | goals2 = 0 | years3 = 2015–2016 | clubs3 = Jacksonville Armada | caps3 = 24 | goals3 = 0 | years4 = 2017–2018 | clubs4 = Rio Grande Valley FC | caps4 = 33 | goals4 = 3 | years5 = 2019 | clubs5 = Des Moines Menace | caps5 = 12 | goals5 = 2 | years6 = 2019 | clubs6 = Indy Eleven | caps6 = 5 | goals6 = 0 | nationalyears1 = 2019– | nationalteam1 = United States (beach) | nationalcaps1 = 34 | nationalgoals1 = 13 | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Men's beach soccer}} {{MedalCountry|{{USA}}}} {{MedalCompetition|CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship}} {{MedalGold|2023 Bahamas|Team}} {{MedalCompetition|ANOC World Beach Games Qualifiers}} {{MedalGold|2022 El Salvador|Team}} | pcupdate = August 27, 2019 | ntupdate = May 19, 2025 }}
'''Nicolás Perea''' (born August 6, 1992) is a Colombian-born American footballer and beach soccer player. He last played as a midfielder for Indy Eleven in the USL Championship in 2019 and represents the United States in international beach soccer, contributing to their 2023 CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship title.<ref name="ussoccer_2023">{{Cite web |date=2023-05-14 |title=U.S. Beach Soccer Men's National Team Shuts Out Mexico 5-0 To Win 2023 Concacaf Beach Championship |url=https://www.ussoccer.com/ |access-date=2025-05-19 |website=U.S. Soccer |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230514000000/https://www.ussoccer.com/ |archive-date=May 14, 2023 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="uslchampionship">{{Cite web |title=Nicolas Perea |url=https://www.uslchampionship.com/ |access-date=2025-05-19 |website=USL Championship |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250519000000/https://www.uslchampionship.com/ |archive-date=May 19, 2025 |url-status=live }}</ref>
== Early life == Perea was born in Bucaramanga, Colombia, on August 6, 1992, and moved to the United States at age seven, settling in Hallandale Beach, Florida.<ref name="ussoccer_2021">{{Cite web |date=2021-05-16 |title=Get to Know the U.S. Beach Men's National Team |url=https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2021/05/get-to-know-the-12-player-beach-soccer-national-team |access-date=2025-05-19 |website=U.S. Soccer |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210516000000/https://www.ussoccer.com/ |archive-date=May 16, 2021 |url-status=live }}</ref> He played youth soccer with Weston FC and is bilingual in English and Spanish.<ref name="ussoccer_2021"/> Perea graduated from Syracuse University in 2014 with a psychology degree.<ref name="ussoccer_2021"/>
== Career == === College === Perea played college soccer for the Syracuse Orange from 2011 to 2014, appearing in 76 matches and scoring 10 goals.<ref name="syracuse">{{Cite web |title=Nick Perea – Men's Soccer |url=https://cuse.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster/nick-perea/10915 |access-date=2025-05-19 |website=Syracuse University Athletics |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250519000000/https://cuse.com/ |archive-date=May 19, 2025 |url-status=live }}</ref> He helped Syracuse reach the NCAA College Cup (Final Four) in 2012, their first appearance, and the Sweet 16 in 2012 and 2014.<ref name="syracuse"/> During college, Perea played in the USL PDL with Ocean City Nor'easters in 2013 (12 matches, 2 goals) and K-W United FC in 2014 (9 matches).<ref name="uslchampionship"/><ref>{{Cite web |title=2013 Ocean City Nor'easters Statistics |url=https://www.uslleaguetwo.com/ |access-date=2025-05-19 |website=USL League Two |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250519000000/https://www.uslleaguetwo.com/ |archive-date=May 19, 2025 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=2014 K-W United FC Roster |url=https://www.uslleaguetwo.com/ |access-date=2025-05-19 |website=USL League Two |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250519000000/https://www.uslleaguetwo.com/ |archive-date=May 19, 2025 |url-status=live }}</ref>
=== Professional === Perea signed his first professional contract with the NASL’s Jacksonville Armada on February 10, 2015, playing 24 matches across 2015–2016.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-02-10 |title=Nicolas Perea Signs to Jacksonville Armada FC |url=http://www.beswickssports.com/news/nicolas-perea-signs-to-jacksonville-armada-fc |access-date=2025-05-19 |website=Beswicks Sports |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304080537/http://www.beswickssports.com/news/nicolas-perea-signs-to-jacksonville-armada-fc |archive-date=March 4, 2016}}</ref><ref name="uslchampionship"/> He joined USL Championship side Rio Grande Valley FC in September 2017, making 33 appearances and scoring 3 goals over 2017–2018.<ref name="uslchampionship"/>
In 2019, Perea played for USL League Two’s Des Moines Menace, recording 12 appearances and 2 goals.<ref name="uslchampionship"/> He signed with USL Championship’s Indy Eleven on August 27, 2019, appearing in 5 matches before the season’s end.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-08-27 |title=Indy Eleven Signs Midfielder Nico Perea |url=https://www.indyeleven.com/news_article/show/1044620 |access-date=2025-05-19 |website=IndyEleven.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190827000000/https://www.indyeleven.com/ |archive-date=August 27, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> Perea has not played professionally in the USL Championship since 2019, focusing instead on beach soccer.<ref name="bgn">{{Cite web |date=2021-05-21 |title=Nicolas Perea is Thriving in "Retirement" as a Member of the U.S. Men's Beach National Team |url=https://www.bgn.fm/ |access-date=2025-05-19 |website=Beautiful Game Network |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210521000000/https://www.bgn.fm/ |archive-date=May 21, 2021 |url-status=live }}</ref>
=== Beach soccer === Perea transitioned to beach soccer in 2019 after a local exhibition match in Florida led to an invitation to a U.S. national team camp in Fort Lauderdale, scouted by coach Francis Farberoff.<ref name="bgn"/><ref name="ussoccer_2021"/> He debuted at the 2021 CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship, scoring 3 goals and helping the U.S. qualify for the 2021 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-05-22 |title=USA and El Salvador Qualify for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup! |url=https://beachsoccer.com/news/usa-and-el-salvador-qualify-for-the-fifa-beach-soccer-world-cup |access-date=2025-05-19 |website=Beach Soccer Worldwide |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210522000000/https://beachsoccer.com/ |archive-date=May 22, 2021 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="ussoccer_2021"/> At the World Cup, he scored 4 goals.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-08-29 |title=2021 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup – USA Statistics |url=https://www.fifa.com/ |access-date=2025-05-19 |website=FIFA |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210829000000/https://www.fifa.com/ |archive-date=August 29, 2021 |url-status=live }}</ref>
In 2022, Perea won the ANOC World Beach Games Qualifiers in El Salvador and was named U.S. Soccer Beach Male Player of the Year.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-12-15 |title=Nicolas Perea – Professional Athlete |url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolas-perea |access-date=2025-05-19 |website=LinkedIn |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221215000000/https://www.linkedin.com/ |archive-date=December 15, 2022 |url-status=live }}</ref> He earned a silver medal at the Mundialito Gran Canaria. In 2023, he scored 4 goals at the CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship in the Bahamas, contributing to the U.S.’s first CONCACAF title since 2013 with a 5–0 win over Mexico.<ref name="ussoccer_2023"/> Perea has over 30 international appearances and 13 goals, with 50 career goals in six CONCACAF Championships, the most by a U.S. player.<ref name="ussoccer_2023"/>
== Personal life == Perea resides in Florida and assists his girlfriend, Taylor Dante,.<ref name="ussoccer_2021"/> He has experience in social media management, videography, and photography, and has worked with brands like Smorgasburg Miami.
== References == {{reflist|2}}
== External links == * [https://www.uslchampionship.com/players/nicolas-perea USL Championship Profile] * [https://us.soccerway.com/players/nicolas-perea/396236 Soccerway Profile] * [https://www.ussoccer.com/players/nicolas-perea U.S. Soccer Beach Soccer Profile]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Perea, Nicolas}} Category:1992 births Category:Living people Category:Colombian men's footballers Category:American men's soccer players Category:Colombian expatriate men's footballers Category:Syracuse Orange men's soccer players Category:Ocean City Nor'easters players Category:K–W United FC players Category:Jacksonville Armada FC players Category:Rio Grande Valley FC Toros players Category:Des Moines Menace players Category:Indy Eleven players Category:Men's association football midfielders Category:USL League Two players Category:North American Soccer League (2011–2017) players Category:USL Championship players Category:Beach soccer players Category:Footballers from Bucaramanga Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in Canada Category:American expatriate men's soccer players Category:Colombian expatriate sportspeople in Canada Category:21st-century American sportsmen Category:21st-century Colombian sportsmen