Former Ghana captain Jonathan Mensah, a defender with New England Revolution, announced his retirement at 36 on social media on Monday, 9 November, after a career marked by two World Cups and an MLS Cup.
In this message posted on social media, Jonathan Mensah, defender and former Ghana captain, announces the end of his professional career at 36. “Here’s me announcing my OFFICIAL retirement from professional football. It’s been an honour through and through, forever grateful!”, he writes, in remarks relayed by Kickoff Ghana.
Born in Accra on 13 July 1990, the player leaves the pitch with a packed honours list: an MLS Cup title, two World Cups and 70 caps for Ghana, according to the same source. He had been playing for New England Revolution since January 2024, after spells at Columbus Crew and San Jose Earthquakes.
From Accra to MLS, a globe-trotter’s journey
After breaking through at Ashanti Gold in 2007/08 at the age of 17, Jonathan Mensah moved from step to step: Free State Stars, Granada, Evian Thonon Gaillard, Anzhi Makhachkala and Udinese, where he never appeared for the Italian first team, Kickoff Ghana notes.
It was in January 2017 that he settled at Columbus Crew. Over six seasons, he played 167 regular-season matches. He joined San Jose Earthquakes in 2023, then New England Revolution in January 2024.
Across his American career, he totalled 193 MLS regular-season matches, with 7 goals and 3 assists, plus 13 play-off games.
Captain and honours at Columbus
Captain of Columbus before the 2020 season, Jonathan Mensah led the club to the MLS Cup title that year, before winning the 2021 Campeones Cup. Individually, he was named the club’s Defender of the Year from 2018 to 2020 and voted into the MLS Best XI in 2020.
With Ghana, the defender won 70 caps and played at the 2010 and 2014 World Cups, with three matches in South Africa, including the round-of-16 win against the United States.
At youth level, he had won the 2009 African Youth Championship, then the U20 World Cup the same year in Egypt, starting six of seven matches, including the final against Brazil.
A career spanning nearly two decades
At 36, Jonathan Mensah ends a career that began at Ashanti Gold in 2007/08 and finished at New England.
In total, he played for nine clubs, in South Africa, Spain, France, Russia, Italy and the United States, after his debut in Ghana.