Joshua Giovanni Pérez Figueroa (born January 21, 1998) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for USL Championship club Tampa Bay Rowdies. Born in the United States, he plays for the El Salvador national team.

Joshua Pérez
Personal information
Full name Joshua Giovanni Pérez Figueroa[1]
Date of birth (1998-01-21) January 21, 1998 (age 26)
Place of birth Montebello, California, United States
Height 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
Tampa Bay Rowdies
Number 98
Youth career
2011–2013 Chivas USA
2013–2016 Fiorentina
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2018 Fiorentina 1 (0)
2017–2018Livorno (loan) 22 (0)
2018–2019 Los Angeles FC 15 (1)
2018Phoenix Rising (loan) 1 (0)
2019Phoenix Rising (loan) 1 (0)
2020 Castellón 0 (0)
2020–2021 Ibiza 7 (0)
2021–2022 Miami FC 34 (5)
2023 Montevarchi 11 (2)
2023– Tampa Bay Rowdies 41 (2)
International career
2013 United States U15 4 (2)
2014–2015 United States U17 22 (7)
2016 United States U19 2 (0)
2016 United States U20 4 (0)
2019 United States U23 1 (0)
2021 El Salvador U23 3 (2)
2021– El Salvador 22 (3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 7 November 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 26 July 2021

Club career

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On February 4, 2016, Pérez signed with Fiorentina, having trained with the club regularly since 2013.[2][3] On November 28, 2016, he made his debut against Inter Milan.[4] On August 31, 2017, Fiorentina announced that they would loan Pérez to Serie C club Livorno for the upcoming season.[5]

On August 8, 2018, Pérez returned to the Los Angeles area, signing with Los Angeles FC on a free transfer.[6] Perez and Los Angeles mutually agreed to part ways on February 7, 2020.[7]

On June 25, 2020, Pérez joined Segunda División B side Castellón,[8] but left the club on September 9, as the club was already promoted to Segunda División, without making any appearances.[9] Hours after leaving Castellón, he joined UD Ibiza in the third division.[10]

On July 2, 2021, after helping with seven appearances overall as Ibiza achieved a first-ever promotion to the second division, Pérez reached an agreement with the club to rescind his contract.[11]

On August 26, 2021, Pérez returned to the USL Championship and signed a contract mid-season with Miami FC.[12]

On February 8, 2023, Pérez signed with Montevarchi in the Italian third-tier Serie C.[13]

Pérez joined the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the USL Championship on August 17, 2023.[14]

International career

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A longtime USA youth international, Pérez switched allegiance to El Salvador in February 2021, accepting a call-up to the U-23 side ahead of the CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Championship.[15] He made his debut with the El Salvador U23s in a 2–0 loss to the Canada U23s on 19 March 2021.[16] On 25 March 2021, he scored a brace against the Haiti U23s.[17]

On June 5, 2021, Pérez made his debut with El Salvador senior team in a 7–0 victory against the U.S. Virgin Islands and scored one goal.[18]

Personal life

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Joshua Pérez was born in Montebello, California, son of Giovanni Pérez and Susana Figueroa. His father was born in Los Angeles, California to Salvadoran parents, while his mother was born and raised in El Salvador and immigrated to the United States. Giovanni played as a professional soccer player, where he spent time at California Emperors and also played for El Salvador's FAS, a club which Giovanni's father and Joshua's grandfather Hugo Antonio Pérez played.[19] Joshua is the nephew of former professional soccer player and current manager of the El Salvador national team Hugo Pérez.[20] In 2018 he married Silvia Borghini in Florence

Career statistics

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As of 4 December 2021
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
El Salvador 2021 16 3
2022 1 0
2023 5 0
Total 22 3
List of international goals scored by Josh Perez
Number Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 5 June 2021 Bethlehem Soccer Stadium, Upper Bethlehem, U.S. Virgin Islands   U.S. Virgin Islands 4–0 7–0 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
2 12 June 2021 Warner Park, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis   Saint Kitts and Nevis 2–0 4–0 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
3 16 June 2021 Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador   Saint Kitts and Nevis 1–0 2–0 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification

References

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  1. ^ "Group A, 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup: El Salvador" (PDF). CONCACAF. p. 2. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 1, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  2. ^ KB, Nolan (February 5, 2016). "Fiorentina sign Joshua Perez". Archived from the original on April 26, 2017. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  3. ^ "US youth international Josh Perez signs with Italian club Fiorentina". MLS Soccer. Archived from the original on June 27, 2017. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  4. ^ "Joshua Perez - Player Profile - Football". Eurosport. Archived from the original on January 27, 2024. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  5. ^ "OFFICIAL: Joshua Pérez loaned to Livorno". Viola Nation. August 31, 2017. Archived from the original on April 2, 2019. Retrieved September 1, 2017.
  6. ^ "LAFC Signs U.S. Youth International Josh Pérez From Fiorentina". LAFC. August 8, 2018. Archived from the original on August 9, 2018. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  7. ^ "LAFC And Forward Josh Pérez Mutually Agree To Part Ways | Los Angeles Football Club". LAFC. Archived from the original on June 6, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  8. ^ "FICHAJE: Josh Pérez, nuevo jugador del CD Castellón | CD Castellón | Web Oficial". June 25, 2020. Archived from the original on December 26, 2021. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  9. ^ "Josh Pérez se desvincula del CD Castellón" [Josh Pérez leaves CD Castellón] (in Spanish). CD Castellón. September 9, 2020. Archived from the original on December 26, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  10. ^ "Joshua Pérez nuevo jugador del Ibiza" [Joshua Pérez new player of Ibiza] (in Spanish). UD Ibiza. September 9, 2020. Archived from the original on December 26, 2021. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  11. ^ "Rescisión del contrato de Joshua Pérez" [Rescision of Joshua Pérez's contract] (in Spanish). UD Ibiza. July 2, 2021. Archived from the original on December 26, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  12. ^ Communications, Miami FC (August 26, 2021). "Miami FC Signs El Salvador National Team Forward Joshua Perez". Miami FC. Archived from the original on August 27, 2021. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
  13. ^ "Rinforzo in attacco" (in Italian). Montevarchi. February 8, 2023. Archived from the original on February 10, 2023. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  14. ^ "Rowdies Add El Salvador International Joshua Pérez". RowdiesSoccer.com. Tampa Bay Rowdies. Archived from the original on August 17, 2023. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  15. ^ @LaSelecta_SLV (March 8, 2021). "📋🇸🇻" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  16. ^ "Game Details". Concacaf. March 12, 2021. Archived from the original on April 3, 2021. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  17. ^ "Game Details". Concacaf. March 12, 2021. Archived from the original on April 3, 2021. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  18. ^ "U.S. Virgin Islands 0–7 El Salvador". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. June 5, 2021. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  19. ^ "Portada - Noticias de El Salvador". elsalvador.com. Archived from the original on January 5, 2017. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
  20. ^ "Joshua Pérez, sobrino de Hugo Pérez, fue suplente con Fiorentina ante Empoli". Archived from the original on November 30, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
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