Josua Mejías joins Athens Kallithea FC

Athens Kallithea FC announce the acquisition of Venezuela international defender Josua Mejías on a free transfer.

Mejías, 26, was a regular starter at Beitar Jerusalem over the last two seasons, until a residency issue cut his time short. After emerging in Venezuela’s Primera División, Mejías moved to Spain’s La Liga with Leganés and spent time on loan with Cartagena, Atlético Madrid B, and Málaga, before joining Beitar. He has earned two caps for Venezuela’s men’s national team, most recently in September 2022.

Born in Valencia, Venezuela, Mejías came through the academy of local side Carabobo and made his first team debut at age 18 in July 2015. He would make 36 total league appearances (31 starts) for the club over the next two years, until he was acquired by Leganés in September 2017.

Leganés were then playing in La Liga, and they would send Mejías out on loan to gain his first European experience. After three seasons in the Spanish third tier with Cartagena, Gimnàstic, and Atlético Madrid B, Mejías moved up to the Segunda División with Málaga in the 2020/21 season, making 21 appearances during the year for the Andalusian club.

Mejías’ next loan was to Beitar in the Israeli Premier League. After making 15 league appearances in the 2021/22 season, Beitar would acquire Mejías from Leganés on a permanent transfer in August 2022. In the 2022/23 season, Mejías played 90 minutes in 11 of the first 13 rounds of the league, until a residency issue interrupted his season and he returned to Venezuela.

At international level, Mejías made his debut for the men’s national team in a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Brazil in October 2021. He has since earned one more cap for Venezuela, coming in a friendly match against Iceland in September 2022. Mejías previously made 11 appearances for the Under-20 national team, including two appearances at the 2017 FIFA Under-20 World Cup, as Venezuela reached the final before ultimately losing to England.

Welcome, Josua.