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Mata in a Chelsea suit wearing his Champions League winners’ medal, By Harald Bischoff – Own work,

Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Juan Mata

Juan Manuel Mata Garcia is a professional football player from Spain who competes for the Turkish Süper Lig team Galatasaray. He can play on the wing but prefers to play as a central attacking midfielder. He was born on April 28, 1988,  in Burgos, Castile, and León. He was raised in his father’s hometown of Oviedo, Asturias. His father later acted as Mata’s agent, becoming FIFA-registered in the process.

As a child, Mata enjoyed playing table tennis. He backs Surf Solidario, a nonprofit organization that promotes surfing for all skill levels. However, here are the top 10 fascinating facts about Juan Mata that you should consider knowing if you are a football fan

1. He is a graduate of Real Madrid’s youth academy

Mata played for Real Madrid Castilla in 2006–07 after graduating from Real Madrid’s development program. He then signed for Valencia in the summer of 2007. He made 174 appearances throughout four seasons, becoming into a crucial component of the team’s midfield. 

2. He was voted Chelsea’s player of the year by the fans

Mata during the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup Final, By Christopher Johnson –

Chelsea acquired Mata in August 2011. He was acquired by Chelsea for 23.5 million pounds from Valencia. At Chelsea, Mata had a very productive time. He succeeded in capturing many trophies as well as the admiration of the crowd. With Chelsea, Mata won the Champions League during his rookie campaign. Chelsea achieved its first-ever Champions League victory. In the championship match against Bayern Munich, he contributed to Didier Drogba’s equalizer, which forced a shootout that Chelsea ultimately won. That year, Chelsea also won the FA Cup. Chelsea fans selected Mata as their player of the year.

3. He had a one-year contract with Galatasaray

He agreed to a 1+1 year contract on September 8, 2022, with Galatasaray in the Super Liga. On September 24, 2022, he played against Istanbulspor in a friendly match to make his Turkish team debut, and he did so with a strong showing.  

Galatasaray Sports Club also known as Galatasaray AÅž in UEFA competitions,[5] is a Turkish professional football club based on the European side of the city of Istanbul in Turkey.

4. Manchester United paid  a remarkable million pounds from Chelsea, which was a record for the club to acquire Mata

Manchester United v Brentford (2-2), Friendly, Old Trafford, Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, 28 July 2021, By Ardfern –

Mata’s playing time substantially decreased once Jose Mourinho took over as Chelsea’s manager in 2014. Mata wasn’t working out in Mourinho’s plans. He consequently joined Manchester United in January 2014.

He was, however,  acquired by United for a whopping 37.1 million pounds from Chelsea, which was a record for the club. On January 28, 2014, Mata played his first game for United against Cardiff.

5. He was a World Champion and a European Champion

Fernando Torres, Mata, and Sergio Ramos celebrating after winning UEFA Euro 2012, By Football.ua, CC BY-SA 3.0,

At all levels, Mata has had tremendous success with the Spanish National Team. Mata was a member of Spain’s 2010 World Cup-winning team. He was a member of the squad that captured the 2012 UEFA Euro. With Spain, he won the Under 19 and Under 21 European Championships. At the European Championships for Under-21s, he was named the Golden Player.

6. His popularity makes him a marketable face and attracts a lot of brands

Mata wearing his World Cup winners’ medal, By Christophe95 –

Mata is a big brand endorser. A lot of brands are drawn to him because of his popularity, which makes him a marketable face. He supports a lot of different companies. Adidas is a major sportswear brand for Mata. On and off the field, he sports the brand’s footwear and clothing.

He also supports IWC Schaffhausen, a Swiss watchmaker. In addition, he has endorsed Beats by Dr. Dre and the upscale Loewe clothing line from Spain.

7. He is a philanthropist

Mata, Adrián López, and Alberto Botía lining up for Spain U21 in 2011,By henrikalexandersen –

Juan Mata is a generous and modest individual. He is among the most endearing footballers in the world because of this. He also participates in numerous philanthropic causes. Mata assisted streetfootballworld in launching the Common Goal project, which calls for footballers and coaches to contribute one percent of their wages to a pooled fund that benefits football charities all around the world.

Mata also collaborates with UNICEF and the Save the Children Foundation to improve the lives of children in Africa. Additionally, Mata is connected to Aldeas Infantiles SOS, an organization that assists children in need. Last but not least, Mata collaborates with Laureus to promote children’s physical and mental growth via sport.

8. His father was also a professional footballer

Juan Mata was born to play football. His father is another reason, of course. His father, Juan Manuel Mata Rodriguez, was a talented football player who spent the 1980s and 1990s playing forward for Burgos CF and Real Oviedo in Spain. Right now, he is represented by his father. He started managing and supervising Juan Mata’s off-field training. At the same time, he registered as a professional with FIFA.  He did not only receive his father’s love of football from him. Juan Mata received his name as well. They share the same name.

9. He was born to play football

Juan Mata first played football when he was just five years old. In his native Oviedo, he participated in local academies like La Fresneda and Juventud Estadio. Then, at the age of 12, he joined the Real Oviedo football academy, where his father played for most of his professional career. Mata stayed in the El Requexon for three years.

10. He has a huge car collection and drives a lot of luxury cars

Photo by Dmitry Vechorko on

Mata owns a sizable fleet of luxury vehicles, and he frequently drives them. He is the owner of a Mercedes-Benz C300 Coupe, a Volvo XC60, a Mercedes-Benz GLE 4Matic, an Aston Martin DB9, and a Bentley Continental GT Speed.