Joseph Paintsil shines in LA Galaxy debut against Messi’s Inter Miami

The 26-year-old, who joined the club last week, was immediately handed a start in Sunday’s game and was a lively presence throughout.

Paintsil made an instant impact after he won a penalty for LA Galaxy in the 13th minute, but Riqui Puig failed to convert from the spot.

Greg Vanney’s side eventually took the lead in the 75th minute through Dejan Joveljic after he was set up by Marky Delgado.

LA Galaxy were, however, unable to hold on to their lead, with Messi striking late on to secure a draw for Inter Miami.

Reacting to his debut performance in the MLS, Paintsil thanked the fans for their support and said he was looking forward to more of such great moments.

“Massive love & appreciation to the fans for the support on my MLS debut. Looking forward to more of this,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

LA Galaxy completed the signing of the Ghanaian winger from Belgian club KRC Genk last Thursday.

The 26-year-old joined Genk in 2018 and enjoyed a fruitful six-year spell in the Belgian topflight, where he won the league and super cup.

Paintsil also impressively scored 61 goals and provided 35 assists in the 228 matches that he played for Genk, including nine goals and five assists in the going 2023/24 campaign.

He joins LA Galaxy on a four-year contract, as he aims to become the latest Ghanaian footballer to make his name in America after Latif Blessing, Jonathan Mensah, Harrison Afful and Yaw Yeboah, among others.