Joseph Paintsil capped off his 2025 Major League Soccer season with a personal milestone, winning LA Galaxy’s Golden Boot award after scoring 10 goals in 22 matches.

The Black Stars forward, aged 27, became only the third player in club history to score a first-half hat-trick, joining Robbie Keane and Alejandro Moreno in the record books. His standout performance came in the clash against Sporting Kansas City, earning him widespread praise across the league.

Achievements in the Season:


  • Golden Boot Winner

  • 10 goals in 22 matches

  • First-half hat-trick vs Sporting Kansas City
Season Reflections

Despite his individual success, Paintsil expressed disappointment over LA Galaxy’s failure to qualify for the playoffs, a sharp contrast to their championship-winning campaign in 2024.

“This season was a lesson… we gave out a lot of points, a lot of unnecessary goals, a lot of mistakes,” he said.
“It’s really a sad moment for a champion team not playing in the playoffs.”

Paintsil was also nominated for Player of the Year, but the award went to Diego Fagundez.

“In everything, you just need to give thanks to God. He knows the best,” Paintsil added, signaling a resilient mindset as he looks ahead to international duty and a fresh start next season.