# Latif Blessing

Latif Atta Blessing (born 30 December 1996) is a Ghanaian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder or forward for Major League Soccer club Houston Dynamo FC.

## Early life

Blessing was born in Nankese, a small village in the Suhum-Kraboa-Coaltar District of southeast Ghana.

## Club career
### Ghana

In 2013, Latif Blessing joined the Liberty Professionals youth team in Accra. He was soon promoted to the senior club for the Ghana Premier League but mainly appeared on the bench for the side. Blessing received particularly good reviews for his performance during a Premier League match against Asante Kotoko on 21 June 2015. In that match, he scored in the 21st minute to equalize before providing two assists, leading Liberty Professionals to a 3–1 victory.
During the 2016 season, Blessing scored six goals in his first eight games. After his hat-trick on the final day of the season against Bechem United, Blessing would go on to finish the season as the top scorer in the league with 17 goals. His performance during the season was recognized in December 2016 when Blessing won the best player of the league award by the Ghana Football Association.

### Major League Soccer

In January 2017, Blessing signed with Sporting Kansas City of Major League Soccer. He made his MLS debut on 11 March 2017 against FC Dallas. On 24 March 2017, Blessing was loaned to Swope Park Rangers, scoring in their match against OKC Energy FC. Blessing's first MLS goals came in a brace on 13 May 2017 in a 2–2 draw in Orlando versus Orlando City SC. On 20 September 2017, Blessing scored in the 2017 U.S. Open Cup Final, as Sporting Kansas City won the 2017 U.S. Open Cup.
In December 2017, Blessing was selected by Los Angeles FC with the second selection of the 2017 MLS Expansion Draft. He made his debut for the club as a starter in their first MLS match, a 1–0 victory at Seattle Sounders FC.
On January 3, 2023, Blessing was acquired by New England Revolution in exchange for $400,000 in GAM for Los Angeles FC.
In July 2023, he was traded to Toronto FC in exchange for Mark-Anthony Kaye.
In March 2024, he was traded to Houston Dynamo FC in exchange for $75,000 in 2025 GAM and up to $200,000 in conditional 2025 GAM.

## International career

Blessing was included in the provisional squad for Ghana before the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, but failed to make the final cut.

## Personal life

In 2017, Blessing obtained a U.S. green card allowing him to qualify as a domestic player for MLS roster purposes. However, in 2023, as part of the process to bring his family over via a visa, he had to give up his green card and reapply under a visa status, returning him to counting as an international player.
Blessing's brother, Ibrahim Fuseini, currently plays for Lori FC in the Armenian Premier League. He has a twin sister, Latifa.

## Career statistics

    As of match played 21 October 2023
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | National cup | National cup | Playoffs | Playoffs | Continental | Continental | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Liberty Professionals | 2016 | Ghanaian Premier League | 21 | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 21 | 17 |
| Sporting Kansas City | 2017 | Major League Soccer | 25 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 31 | 6 |
| Swope Park Rangers (loan) | 2017 | USL | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| Los Angeles FC | 2018 | Major League Soccer | 30 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 35 | 7 |
| Los Angeles FC | 2019 | Major League Soccer | 34 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 39 | 6 |
| Los Angeles FC | 2020 | Major League Soccer | 21 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 29 | 3 |
| Los Angeles FC | 2021 | Major League Soccer | 30 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 30 | 2 |
| Los Angeles FC | 2022 | Major League Soccer | 30 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 33 | 0 |
| Los Angeles FC | Total | Total | 145 | 14 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 166 | 18 |
| New England Revolution | 2023 | Major League Soccer | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 16 | 0 |
| Toronto FC | 2023 | Major League Soccer | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Toronto FC II (loan) | 2023 | MLS Next Pro | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 212 | 35 | 16 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 242 | 42 |

## Honours

Sporting Kansas City
* U.S. Open Cup: 2017
Los Angeles FC
* MLS Cup: 2022
* Supporters' Shield: 2019, 2022