Juan Manuel Mata García, born in Burgos on 28 April 1988, made his professional debut with Real Madrid Castilla in the Spanish second division in the 2006-07 season, shortly after turning 18. A left-footed attacking midfielder who could also play on either wing, he went on to represent Valencia, Chelsea, Manchester United, Galatasaray, Vissel Kobe, Western Sydney Wanderers and Melbourne Victory, and won the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012 with the Spain national team.
Early years in Oviedo and Madrid
His father, Juan Manuel Mata Rodríguez, was a forward for Real Burgos in the 1980s and early 1990s and later became his son’s agent. Mata joined the Real Oviedo academy in 2000, aged twelve, and moved to Real Madrid’s youth system in the summer of 2003. With the Juvenil A side he won the 2005-06 Copa de Campeones, scoring the winner in the final against Real Valladolid. In 2006-07 he played 39 league games for Castilla and scored nine goals.
Valencia (2007-2011)
Valencia signed him in March 2007 on a contract that began on 30 June that year. He played his first La Liga minutes in September 2007 against Almería, and his European debut came on 11 December 2007, a goalless Champions League draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. In that season’s Copa del Rey he scored twice against Barcelona in the semi-final and opened the scoring in the 3-1 final win over Getafe, earning the 2008 Copa del Rey, his first senior trophy. Over four seasons at Mestalla he made 174 appearances in all competitions and scored 46 goals.
Chelsea (2011-2014)
On 24 August 2011 he signed a five-year contract with Chelsea, who paid a fee announced at £23.5 million. Three days later he came off the bench to score on his debut, a 3-1 win over Norwich City. In his first season in London he won the 2012 Champions League and the 2012 FA Cup, and a year later he added the 2013 Europa League. Supporters voted him Chelsea Player of the Year in 2012 and again in 2013. He lost his place under José Mourinho in 2013-14 and was sold in January 2014.
Manchester United and Galatasaray (2014-2023)
Manchester United completed his signing on 25 January 2014 for £37.1 million, a club record at the time, and he made his debut three days later with an assist in a 2-0 win over Cardiff City. In March 2015 he scored both goals, one of them a bicycle kick, in a 2-1 win at Anfield. At Old Trafford he won the 2016 FA Cup, the 2017 League Cup and the 2016-17 Europa League, making 285 appearances and scoring 51 goals before leaving when his contract ran out in 2022. On 8 September 2022 he joined Galatasaray as a free agent and won the 2022-23 Süper Lig, the Istanbul club’s 23rd league title.
Spain national team
He won the European Under-19 Championship in 2006 and the European Under-21 Championship in 2011, when he was named the tournament’s Golden Player. His senior debut came on 28 March 2009 against Turkey, and that September he scored his first goal in the 3-0 win over Estonia that sealed World Cup qualification. He was part of the squad that won the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, and in the final of Euro 2012 he came off the bench to score the fourth goal in a 4-0 win over Italy. He also played at the 2012 Olympics, the 2013 Confederations Cup and the 2014 World Cup, where he scored against Australia. He won 41 caps and scored ten goals between 2009 and 2016.
Playing style
Mata was a playmaker who operated behind the striker or drifted inside from the flanks. His game rested on close control, passing and vision, and he was a regular provider of assists and a free-kick taker. Pace and physical strength were not among his attributes. In August 2017 he pledged 1% of his salary to the Common Goal initiative, and in 2025 he was appointed MBE for services to sport and charity.
Japan and Australia (2023-2026)
On 3 September 2023 he signed for Vissel Kobe, where he made one league appearance and received a medal as a member of the squad that won the 2023 J1 League. On 5 September 2024 he joined Western Sydney Wanderers and scored his first goal for them on 1 January 2025 against Macarthur FC. He moved to Melbourne Victory on 16 September 2025 and, with five goals and 13 assists in 24 matches of the 2025-26 A-League, won the 2026 Johnny Warren Medal as the league’s player of the season. In June 2026 he took an ownership stake in the club, and his departure as a player was confirmed on 11 September 2026.
TBCMidfielderMarket value €224.0K