MIAMI (August 26, 2021) – The Miami FC announced on Thursday the addition of forward Joshua Perez, pending league and federation approval. Perez is a current member of the El Salvador national team, which will be facing the United States in the upcoming FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.
El Salvador announced earlier on Thursday that Perez will be on the senior squad in their upcoming crucial 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. El Salvador will face the United States on September 2, while later facing Honduras and Canada on September 5 and 8 respectively. Perez most recently started all four matches for El Salvador in their 2021 Gold Cup run, where they reached the Quarterfinals.
Perez joins Miami FC after spending the 2020-21 season with UD Ibiza, where he helped the club earn its first-ever promotion into the second division of Spanish football. Prior to joining Ibiza, the forward featured in 15 matches for Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles FC from 2018 to 2019. During his time at LAFC, Perez netted one goal and one assist. Perez has also appeared in the USL Championship, featured in three league matches during his time at LAFC, going on loan to Phoenix Rising FC.
The California native joined Italian Serie A’s Fiorentina at the age of 16 as one of the most promising U.S. youth national team players, and would go on to sign a professional contract at the age of 18. In 2016, Perez made his senior debut at Fiorentina against Italian giants Inter Milan at San Siro, which made him the youngest American to ever feature in Italian top-flight football. After spending the 2016 season with Fiorentina, he would go on loan to Serie C’s Livorno, featuring in 23 league matches.
Prior to representing El Salvador, which was made official in February 2021, the winger was a staple in the U.S. youth national team system. Perez was a part of the U.S. U17 squad that took part in the 2015 U17 FIFA World Cup which took place in Chile. On that squad was current Miami FC forward Pierre Da Silva as well.
Perez joins a list of young talented forwards on the Miami FC roster, as the club sets its focus on earning a playoff spot in the 2021 USL Championship Season.
