Juan Mata has established himself as a global figure in the world of sports. With an enviable track record, off the field he stands out for his active participation in the Common Goal movement and the various causes he supports, a fundamental part of his responsible approach to his profession.
The clubs Juan has played for speak volumes: Real Madrid, Valencia, Chelsea, Manchester United, and Galatasaray. A track record reserved for the greats of football. Through his goals and assists, he has become a mainstay for every team he has played for. Before turning 30, he had already won titles any footballer would dream of: Champions League, Europa League (twice), Copa del Rey, and FA Cup (also twice). In 2022-23, he completed his trophy haul with his first league title with Turkey’s most successful club, Galatasaray.
If his record of achievements is enviable at club level, he’s no slouch with the Spanish national team. Juan Mata was part of the best generation in Spain’s history and participated in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and the 2012 European Championship, including a goal in the tournament’s final against Italy. He also made his mark at youth levels. He won the Under-19 European Championship (2006) and the Under-21 European Championship (2011). He was named player of the tournament in both tournaments.
His successes have transcended the field. Friendly and charismatic, Juan always has time to contribute to charitable causes. He actively leads the Common Goal charity movement. UNICEF, Save the Children, and Children’s Villages are other organizations with which the Asturian has had ties.
All of this has earned Mata the respect and affection of everyone, always showing himself to be approachable and interactive with the millions of fans who support him on social media. Across all his channels, he has more than 20 million followers, including his YouTube channel, making him the first footballer to develop his professional career with ImagoSport.
In 2019, Juan published ‘Suddenly a Footballer,’ a book in which he takes a very personal look at his career while sharing his lessons learned as a professional athlete.
Career as a player
- 2002-03. Real Oviedo
- Real Oviedo lower categories
- 2003-07. Real Madrid
- Professional debut in Spanish Second Division with Real Madrid Castilla
- Europe Champion U-19 with Spanish Team (Poland 2006)
- 2007-11. Valencia.
- Spanish Cup Champion. 2007-08
- Debut with the Spanish Team
- World Cup champion with the Spanish national team in Brazil 2010
- 2011-14. Chelsea
- Europe Champion U-21 with Spanish Team (Denmark 2011)
- UEFA Champions League Champion 2012
- FA Cup Champion 2012
- Europe Champion with the Spanish Team (Poland and Ukraine 2012)
- Europa League Champion 2013
- 32 goals and 58 assists in 135 games with Chelsea
- 2014-2022. Manchester United
- FA Cup Champion 2016
- Community Shield Champion 2016
- EFL Cup Champion 2017
- Europa League Champion 2017
- More than 50 goals and 50 assists for Manchester United
- 2022-2023. Galatasaray
- Turkish Superleague Champion 22-23
- 2023. Vissel Kobe
- Japanese League Champion
- 2024-25. Western Sydney Wanderers
- 2025-present. Melbourne Victory FC
Other awards
- Best player of the European U-19 Championship (Poland 2006)
- Laureus award for the Best Team in 2010 (Spanish Team)
- Asturias Prince award of the Sports 2010
- Honorary Athlete award of the Politécnica of Valencia University 2010
- Gold medal of the Royal Football Federation of the Principality of Asturias
- Best Player of the European U-21 Championship (Denmark 2011)
- Bronze Boot of the European U-21 Championship (Denmark 2011)
- Best Asturian athlete 2011
- 2 Gold ‘Futbol Draft’ award and 1 Bronze ‘Futbol Draft’ award
- Chelsea best player. 2011-2012 and 2012-2013
- Player of the month in Premier League (october 2012)
- Included in the Ideal XI of the Premier League in the 2012-13 season
- MVP in the FA Cup Final. 2011-2012
- ‘Goal of the year’ with Manchester United for his goal against Liverpool (2014/2015)
- 2017 National Sports Award for Common Goal
- 2019 Quini Award for Sports Values
- APDM Award for Common Goal
- Femaddi Values Award 2020 for Common Goal
