MVP Nick Perera Signs With Sockers
The San Diego Sockers today announced the signing of free agent forward Nick Perera to a one-year Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) contract, covering the 2025-26 season. As per league and club policy, the terms of the deal will not be announced.
“I’m very excited to be back in San Diego, playing in front of my family, and it’s only fitting that I’m able to come back to where my indoor soccer journey all began,” said Perera of his return, “I know the expectations from the Sockers organization and the hunger to win that comes with putting on that uniform, and I’m excited to rise to the challenge.”
“We are happy to have Nick back home with the Sockers,” said general manager Chiky Luna, “Nick brings a lot of experience, and he’s a scoring threat any time he is on the field. With his addition to our front line, we feel very happy with our roster. Nick is an MVP candidate every season, and we expect the same from him wearing the Sockers jersey.”
Raised in San Diego--where his family and wife’s family also live--Perera, 39, begins his 17th year of professional indoor soccer and his third tour of duty with the Sockers. He has featured in all eleven previous MASL seasons and ranks as the league’s all-time assists leader, with 243. Perera is a two-time MASL MVP, winning the award in 2018-19 with a (38-41=80) point season, and again in 2022-23 when he recorded a (33-37=70) point campaign. He is one of only five players in MASL history with over 400 points (240 goals, 243 assists, 483 points) and is in line to become the third MASL player to go over the 500-point career mark with 17+ points in 2025-26.
Emerging from the San Diego Fusion professional indoor program, Perera joined the PASL San Diego Sockers as a rookie in 2010-11, helping the club win their second PASL North American Championship, including a goal scored in the league final. Perera moved on from there to join the MISL Milwaukee Wave from 2011-14, winning a championship with the Wave in 2011-12. After the MISL/PASL merger in 2014, Perera joined the San Diego Sockers for two seasons, scoring 40 goals with 36 assists over 36 matches played. After a lone season with the Ontario Fury in 2016-17, Perera played briefly for the Syracuse Silver Knights in 2017-18 before moving to Tacoma, where he would perform for the next eight seasons.
In addition to being the star forward of the club, Perera also served as Tacoma Stars head coach from 2018-21. While in the Pacific Northwest, Perera also spent a season as the general manager of OL Reign in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) in 2022-23, during which the Reign captured the NWSL Shield for the league’s top regular season record. Perera is a decorated member of the U.S. Beach Soccer Men’s National Team, serving as the club’s captain starting in 2014. He appeared in the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in 2013, 2019 and 2021. He was selected to play in the 2024 World Cup but had to withdraw due to injury. Perera is the all-time leader for U.S. Beach Soccer in goals with 114, and ranks third all-time in appearances with 94.