Playing career
Youth and college
Perera played youth soccer in Belgium with club team K.N.S. Tervuren, as well as his high school team European School of Brussels. He walked on to the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos men's soccer team in 2005 after receiving a recommendation from his mother.
I asked my mom where would be a good place to go to college, and she said Santa Barbara sounded like a fun place. Junior year of high school I came to visit the campus and I fell in love with Santa Barbara.
—Nick Perera[9]
Perera played an integral role in UC Santa Barbara’s attack, leading the Gauchos to the 2006 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship and winning the national title. For his performances in the 2006 tournament, he was named the College Cup's Most Outstanding Offensive Player.
Professional
After finishing college, Perera played a few matches with California-based Bakersfield Brigade of the USL Premier Development League where he was reunited with UC Santa Barbara teammates Tino Nuñez, Greg Curry, Jon Curry, and Andrew Proctor. Additionally, Eric Wynalda was also on the squad.[10]
Perera then joined Benidorm CF in Spain,[11] before heading back to America to join San Diego Sockers where he played indoor soccer. Despite appearing in just 6 games, he scored 5 goals for the club.[12]
In the off-season, Perera joined Milwaukee Wave.[13] Perera racked up 69 appearances, scoring 52 goals, before moving back to San Diego Sockers ahead of their 2014/15 season.[14] In October 2016, Perera was traded to Ontario Fury.[15] He appeared in 15 games for the Fury and scored 17 goals with 16 assists in his lone season with the club.[16]
Perera was traded in the offseason from Ontario Fury to Syracuse Silver Knights.[17] He appeared 3 times in November 2017 for the Silver Knights and scored 4 goals with two assists.[16] In December 2017, it was announced that Perera was traded to Tacoma Stars.[18][19]
International
Perera represents the United States in beach soccer. As a member of the United States men's national beach soccer team, he appeared in the 2013,[20] 2019,[21] and 2021[1] editions of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup. He was also selected for the 2024 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, but withdrew due to injury.[22]
Perera led the Americans in goals scored at the 2013 World Cup. Despite the United States not advancing past the group stage, his 5 goals were good for a seventh-place finish overall in the tournament. He scored an additional 2 goals at the 2019 World Cup.
Perera was named captain of the team in 2014 and is their all-time leader in goals scored and third in appearances as of April 2023.[23][24]
Perera has also spent time with the United States men's national futsal team.[25][26] In September 2011, Perera was called into training camp by head coach Keith Tozer.[27] Shortly after, he was called to be a member of the team at the 2011 Grand Prix de Futsal as one of the United States' three forwards.[28] He appeared in all 6 games, starting 5, en route to a 16th place finish for the team.[29][30][31][32][33][34] He was called into a further camp in March 2012 ahead of the 2012 CONCACAF Futsal Championship, but was not named to the team.[35]