Ghanaian forward Joseph Paintsil has dismissed the perception of Major League Soccer (MLS) as a retirement league for aging players.
The 26-year-old, who joined LA Galaxy in 2024 from Belgium’s KRC Genk, emphasized on the league’s growing competitiveness and cautioned against underestimating its demands.
“It’s not as easy as people think,” Paintsil told Joy Sports. “People say it is a retirement league, but trust me, a lot of Europeans can go there and can really flop in the first season. So, it is not a league that should be taken for granted. It is a league that really is really serious in making an impact in the world.”
The former Tema Youth winger pointed to the arrival of high-profile stars like Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Olivier Giroud as evidence of MLS’s growing global influence. “You have the likes of Messi, you have the likes of Busquets, a whole lot of players. Giroud, Marco Reus, Riqui Puig. There are a lot of great players there so it is interesting now to play in the MLS,” he added.
In his debut season with LA Galaxy, Joseph Paintsil enjoyed a successful campaign, scoring 15 goals and providing 8 assists in 37 appearances across all competitions. He also contributed to the team’s MLS Cup victory.
Shifting his focus to the national team, Paintsil urged Ghanaian fans to rally behind the Black Stars as they prepare for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The team endured a disappointing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign, finishing bottom of their group without a single win, thus failing to qualify for the tournament.
“This is football – now all nations are really good,” he said. “It’s not like 10 years ago when you saw another team and said, ‘Oh, this team, we are going to score them five or four.’ It’s a difficult situation now, and everybody is playing in Europe, so you cannot say this team is bad or that national team is bad.
“Because the more you think that, they surprise us. All they [Ghanaians] need to do is help us, pray for us, and support us in the upcoming qualification for the World Cup. That’s the most important thing. So, they should come in their numbers to support us, and we will make them proud and always give them their ticket in their pockets.”
Ghana will resume their World Cup qualifying campaign in March 2025 with crucial matches against Chad and Madagascar.
By Michael Nabary
