Juan Mata

Mata joins the Western Sydney Wanderers after one of the most extraordinary careers in world football, spanning the top flights of La Liga, the English Premier League, Turkish Süper League and J.League competitions.

The midfielder’s football journey began at 12 year’s old at the Real Oviedo Academy where he played for three years before joining Real Madrid as a youngster.

At Madrid, Mata dominated the Youth ranks before an opportunity arose to move to Valencia where he made an immediate impact contributing to the clubs historic Copa del Rey victory in 2008.

During his four years at Valencia, Mata made over 170 appearances for the club and scored 46 goals.

It was at Valencia that the midfielder begun to make a global name for himself, earning a high-profile move to English Premier League side Chelsea.

Mata continued to collect silverware at Stamford Bridge, winning the UEFA Champions League, the FA Cup, UEFA Europa League and FA Community Shield.

He became one of the most beloved and decorated players at Chelsea and over his three-year stint at the club was twice voted as Player of the Year.

After 33 goals, 58 assists and 135 games for Chelsea, Mata made the move to giants Manchester United breaking the club’s transfer record in 2014.

Mata spent nine seasons at Old Trafford working under the likes of managers such as David Moyes, Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho.

His vision and creativity during his time at United was instrumental to the club’s success, guiding United to be crowned the Champions of the FA Cup, EFL Cup, FA Community Shield and UEFA Europa League.

Mata made a total of 285 appearances for the club, scoring 51 goals and accumulating 47 assists, arguably becoming one of the most valuable players to Manchester United during this period.

A legend in his own right, Mata wrapped up his stint in the English Premier League in 2022 and left behind a legacy that was filled with silverware and incredible memories.
The last two years have seen Mata in both Turkey and Japan where he played for both Galatasaray and Vissel Kobe, winning the league in both competitions.

Outside of his club career, Mata was part of the Golden Generation of Spanish national team players and won the prestigious FIFA World Cup in 2010.

With Spain, Mata featured in 40 matches and scored 10 goals, and also won the UEFA Championship in 2012.

Mata will not only boost the Wanderers midfield stocks with experience but will also be pivotal in guiding the next generation of youngsters coming through the Red & Black ranks.

Most importantly, the midfielder has many shared values with the club and in 2017 Mata established the Common Goal charity that supports critical issues such as gender equality, the environment and anti-racism projects.