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Spain Juan Mata is a Spanish professional footballer who has achieved success at both club and international levels, bringing extensive experience and a commitment to social causes to his partnerships and projects.
On 18 June 2025, Mata, in collaboration with Portuguese player Sérgio Oliveira, became a strategic investor in Mercury/13, a women's multi-club network that owns FC Como Women in Serie A.
Populous announced a partnership with Juan Mata, who will become a Special Advisor to the practice on football and training.
On 20 November 2024, Juan Mata joined the ownership group of Major League Soccer (MLS) club San Diego FC as a club partner. He is the first active international soccer player to hold an ownership stake in MLS.
In August 2017, Mata announced he was pledging one percent of his salary to 'Common Goal,' a pledge-based charitable movement, encouraging other football players to do the same.
In November 2012, along with fellow Premier League players Santi Cazorla and Michu, Mata bought shares in his former club Real Oviedo, who were struggling financially in the Spanish third division.
Mata and his father, Juan Manuel Mata, were part-owners of Tapeo and Wine, a Spanish restaurant in Manchester, which operated from 2016 to 2020.
In 2023, Mata joined the investment group of the Alpine racing team of Formula One.
On 29 June 2026, Mata purchased a stake in the ownership of Melbourne Victory and will also chair a new football committee as part of the club after retirement.
Juan Manuel Mata García was born on April 28, 1988, in Burgos, Spain. He began his football journey at Real Oviedo in 2000, before joining Real Madrid’s youth academy, La Fábrica, in 2003. In 2006-2007, he played for Real Madrid Castilla, scoring 9 goals in 39 appearances. Mata then moved to Valencia in 2007, where he became a key player, making 174 appearances over four seasons and winning the Copa del Rey in 2008. His consistent performances led to his transfer to Chelsea in August 2011 for approximately £23.5 million.
At Chelsea, Mata quickly established himself as a pivotal attacking midfielder. In his debut season, he helped the club win the UEFA Champions League and the FA Cup in 2012. The following year, Chelsea secured the UEFA Europa League title. Mata’s time at Chelsea saw him make 135 appearances, scoring 33 goals and providing 58 assists. In January 2014, he moved to Manchester United for a fee of £37.1 million. During his nine seasons with Manchester United, Mata made 285 appearances, winning the FA Cup in 2016, the EFL Cup in 2017, and the UEFA Europa League in 2017 along with the FA Community Shield.
After leaving Manchester United in 2022, Mata joined Galatasaray, where he won the Süper Lig title in 2023. He then had brief spells with Vissel Kobe in Japan, winning the J1 League in 2023, and Western Sydney Wanderers in Australia. In 2025, he signed with Melbourne Victory, where he had a successful debut season, scoring 5 goals and providing 13 assists, earning the Johnny Warren Medal as the A-League Player of the Year. Beyond his playing career, Mata is known for co-founding the ‘Common Goal’ movement in 2017, pledging a percentage of his salary to charity and encouraging other footballers to do the same. In 2025, he became an investor in Mercury/13, a women’s multi-club network, and in 2024, he joined the ownership group of MLS club San Diego FC.
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