Juan Mata

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Mata and the
second or maternal family name is García.
Juan Mata

Mata playing for Manchester United in 2016

Personal information
Full name Juan Manuel Mata García[1]
Date of birth 28 April 1988 (age 29)
Place of birth Burgos, Spain
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[2]
Playing position Attacking midfielder
Club information
Current team Manchester United
Number 8
Youth career
1998–2003 Real Oviedo
2003–2006 Real Madrid
 Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2006–2007 Real Madrid Castilla 39 (10)
2007–2011 Valencia 129 (33)
2011–2014 Chelsea 82 (18)
2014– Manchester United 137 (30)
National team‡
2004 Spain U16 3 (2)
2004 Spain U17 2 (1)
2006–2007 Spain U19 13 (12)
2007 Spain U20 5 (3)
2007–2011 Spain U21 19 (5)
2012 Spain U23 4 (0)
2009– Spain 41 (10)
Honours[show]
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the
domestic league only and correct as of 18:48, 15 April
2018 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 15
November 2016

Juan Manuel Mata García (Spanish pronunciation: [xwam ˈmata]; born 28 April 1988) is a
Spanish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for English club Manchester United
and the Spain national team. He mostly plays as a central attacking midfielder, but he can also
play on the wing.

A graduate of Real Madrid's youth academy, Mata played for Real Madrid Castilla in 2006–07,
before joining Valencia in the summer of 2007. He became an integral part of the club's
midfield, making 174 appearances over the course of four seasons.[3] In August 2011, Mata
signed for English club Chelsea of the Premier League for a fee believed to be in the region of
€28 million, and in his debut season was part of the team that won the UEFA Champions League
and the FA Cup. The following year, Chelsea won the UEFA Europa League, making Mata and
teammate Fernando Torres the first players to hold the Champions League, Europa League,
World Cup, and the European Championships simultaneously. After falling out of favour at
Chelsea under José Mourinho, Mata was sold to Manchester United in January 2014, for a fee of
£37.1 million.

Mata is a Spanish international, having represented Spain at under-16, under-17, under-19,

under-20, under-21, Olympic and senior levels. He played for the under-20 side in the 2007
FIFA U-20 World Cup. In June 2009, Mata played at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, his
first senior tournament. On 9 September 2009, Mata scored his first goal for the senior team,
against Estonia, securing the nation a place at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, and
was part of Spain's World Cup-winning squad. In 2011, he went back to playing in the under-21
side, helping Spain win the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship in
Denmark. He won the Golden Player award and was part of the Team of the Tournament. Mata
returned to the senior squad for UEFA Euro 2012 and, after coming on as a substitute, scored
Spain's fourth goal in the final as Spain defeated Italy 4–0 to retain their title as champions of
Europe.

Contents
 1 Early life
 2 Club career
o 2.1 Early career
o 2.2 Valencia
o 2.3 Chelsea
 2.3.1 2011–12 season
 2.3.2 2012–13 season
 2.3.3 2013–14 season
o 2.4 Manchester United
 2.4.1 2013–14 season
 2.4.2 2014–15 season
 2.4.3 2015–16 season
 2.4.4 2016–17 season
 3 International career
 4 Style of play
 5 Outside football
o 5.1 Charity work
 6 Career statistics
o 6.1 Club
o 6.2 International
o 6.3 International goals
 7 Honours
o 7.1 Club
o 7.2 International
o 7.3 Individual
 8 References
 9 External links

Early life
Mata was born in the town of Burgos, Burgos.[4] He inherited his name from his father, Juan
Manuel Mata Rodríguez, who was also a footballer, playing as a forward for nearby Burgos CF
in the 1980s and early 1990s. Mata was raised in his father's home town of Oviedo, Asturias. His
father later acted as Mata's agent, becoming FIFA-registered in the process.[5][6] In his spare time,
Mata enjoys table-tennis, a sport he played as a child.[7] Upon his move to Chelsea, he said he
also enjoys sightseeing around London. He gained a nickname at Chelsea – "Johnny Kills" – the
literal translation of his name from Spanish into English.[8]

Club career
Early career

Mata started his football career at Real Oviedo, where his father spent most of his career. He
stayed there for three years before joining Real Madrid's youth academy, La Fábrica, at age 15.
After appearing for their Cadete A team, he swiftly progressed through the junior teams, Juvenil
C and finally Juvenil A. In his last campaign (2005–06), he scored two goals in the league and
three more in the Copa de Campeones, including the winner in the final against Real Valladolid,
adding another three in the Spanish Juvenil Cup.

Switching to Real Madrid Castilla in 2006–07, Mata was given the number 34 shirt in the first
team, while wearing number 28 in Castilla. In spite of Castilla's final Segunda División
relegation, he finished the season as the side's second best scorer at ten, behind striker Álvaro
Negredo, who registered 18.

Valencia

Mata at Paterna in 2009

Mata had a release clause at Real Madrid during his last season at the club, and eventually agreed
to sign for fellow La Liga side Valencia CF in March 2007, with the contract starting on 30 June
2007.[9]
Juan Mata playing for Valencia in 2010

Benefitting from constant injuries to Vicente and the ostracism to which then-manager Ronald
Koeman condemned Miguel Ángel Angulo, Mata gradually carved a niche in Valencia's first
eleven. On 20 March 2008, he scored twice in the Copa del Rey semi-final match against FC
Barcelona to help Valencia reach the final against Getafe CF[10] where, on 16 April, he netted the
opener in a 3–1 win.[11] During that first season, he was voted the team's Best Young Player by
fans and players alike.

In the 2008 Spanish SuperCup, Mata scored against his former club Real Madrid in a 3–2 first
leg win, but Valencia lost 5–6 on aggregate after a 2–4 away loss in the second game. He started
2008–09 well, scoring in the opener against RCD Mallorca in a 3–0 win.[12] He also netted the
only goal of the game against CA Osasuna, latching on to a long ball from David Villa.[13]

On 25 September 2008, Mata proved to be growing in efficiency, as he set up two of his

teammate's goals in a 2–0 away win over Málaga CF.[14] Three days later, he put in a superb
performance against Deportivo de La Coruña, scoring one and creating the other three, in a 4–2
home victory.[15]

Towards the end of the campaign, Mata managed to score two very important late goals for
Valencia: the first, the 3–2 winner at Sporting de Gijón,[16] and the second a penalty against
Sevilla FC at home, to put Valencia 2–1 up (specialist Villa had already been replaced due to
injury) in an eventual 3–1 success.[17] He achieved impressive stats during the season, finishing
with 11 successful strikes and 13 assists, behind just Barcelona's Xavi as the league's best.

In the following two seasons, Mata was an everpresent offensive figure for Valencia, scoring 17
goals in 68 games combined, with the club achieving back-to-back third-league places. On 10
April 2011, he netted two in a 5–0 home win against Valencian neighbours Villarreal CF.[18][19]
On 9 May, England-based Spanish journalist Guillem Balagué reported interest from several
Premier League clubs.[3]

Chelsea

On 21 August 2011, Valencia announced they had agreed a £23.5 million fee for the transfer of
Mata to Premier League club Chelsea, subject to a medical.[20][21][22] On 24 August 2011, Mata
signed a five-year deal with Chelsea. He revealed that compatriot Fernando Torres helped
persuade him to move to Stamford Bridge, saying "Fernando got me excited about the thought of
coming here. He said it would be good for me here, and that me and him together could be good.
I also talked to my family and friends about it as well."[23]

On 26 August 2011, Yossi Benayoun offered Mata his number 10 shirt. The Israeli captain said,
"I decided to give Mata the number 10 – his favourite. For me, it's just a number, not my lucky
15." (Florent Malouda wore number 15 for Chelsea at the time.) Mata wore number 10 for
Valencia and for Spain's under-21s in the summer, and expressed his gratitude to Benayoun. "It
is a very important number to me so I'm pleased to be wearing it. I want to thank Yossi," he
said.[24] Mata follows on from Chelsea players Joe Cole, Mark Hughes, Ian Hutchinson, and
Terry Venables in adopting the number 10 shirt.[25]

2011–12 season

Juan Mata taking on Bayern Munich defender Jérôme Boateng in the 2012 UEFA Champions
League Final

Mata made his debut for Chelsea against Norwich City on 27 August 2011, where he came on as
a 68th-minute substitute for Florent Malouda and scored the club's third goal in the 11th minute
of stoppage time. Chelsea went on to win the match 3–1.[26] He started his first game for his new
club in their next fixture on 10 September away to Sunderland, helping Chelsea secure a 1–2
win.[27] On 14 September, Mata made his UEFA Champions League debut for Chelsea and
netted in stoppage time to help his side defeat Bayer Leverkusen 2–0.[28]

On 29 October 2011, Mata assisted Chelsea's 6,000th league goal with an in-swinging cross
which was headed in by Frank Lampard. In the same game, Mata scored with a spectacular 25-
yard strike in a 3–5 home defeat to London rivals Arsenal.[29] On 26 November, Mata set up the
first two goals which were scored by John Terry and Daniel Sturridge and also scored the third
goal himself in a 3–0 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers.[30] He was awarded the Man of the
Match in a 0–3 away win at St James' Park for his performance against Newcastle United.[31]
On 6 December 2011, during Chelsea's decisive Champions League match against former club
Valencia CF, Mata created two assists for both of Didier Drogba goals.[32][33] The game ended in
a 3–0 win, which resulted in Chelsea qualifying first from their group.[34] On Boxing Day, Mata
scored his side's only goal in a 1–1 draw at Stamford Bridge against Fulham.[35] Mata scored
Chelsea's first goal of their FA Cup campaign in a 4–0 win over Portsmouth at Stamford Bridge.

In an FA Cup Fourth round tie with Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road, Mata scored his side's
only goal from the penalty spot in a 0–1 victory. On 5 February 2012, Mata scored against
Manchester United in a 3–3 draw.[36] On 21 February, Mata scored his side's only goal in their 1–
3 defeat away at Napoli in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16.[37]

After the appointment of Roberto Di Matteo as interim first-team coach, Mata was played as a
central attacking midfielder rather than being played on the left wing. Mata scored and had a
penalty saved by Colin Doyle in the FA Cup 5th round replay against Birmingham City at St
Andrew's, which Chelsea won 0–2, helping them into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. He
continued his trait of scoring in each round; this run, however, ended against Leicester City in
the quarter-final, which Chelsea nonetheless won 5–2. On 7 April, Mata scored his 11th goal of
the season against Wigan Athletic; it was a vital goal that gave the Blues a 2–1 victory over the
Latics and kept alive Chelsea's fight for a Champions League spot.[38]

On 15 April, in Chelsea's 5–1 win against Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup semi-final at
Wembley Stadium, Mata scored a controversial goal and assisted Ramires and Florent Malouda
for their goals, adding to his statistics in the 2011–12 FA Cup with four goals and three assists.
Mata started in both legs of Chelsea's Champions League semi-final clash with reigning
champions FC Barcelona, helping his side to an unexpected 3–2 win on aggregate.[39][40] and set
up a final clash with Bayern Munich on 19 May.[41]

Mata provided two assists to fellow Spaniard Fernando Torres in the 6–1 thrashing of West
London rivals Queens Park Rangers on 29 April, bringing his tally to 13 Premier League assists
on the season.[42] Mata assisted the first goal in the FA Cup final, which Ramires scored, as
Chelsea beat Liverpool 2–1 at Wembley, with Mata picking up Man of the Match award.[43][44]
On 10 May, Mata was rewarded for his consistent form throughout his first Chelsea season by
the fans voting him the club's Player of the Year, following on from Chelsea legends such as
Dennis Wise and Gianfranco Zola, whom he had been compared to on various occasions.[45]

In the 2012 UEFA Champions League Final against Bayern Munich on 19 May, Mata assisted
Didier Drogba's headed equalizer from a corner kick in the 88th minute. The match went on to
extra-time and penalties, with Mata taking Chelsea's first, which Bayern goalkeeper Manuel
Neuer saved. Chelsea, however, went on to win 4–3 in the penalty-shootout, lifting their first
Champions League title.[46] Mata finished his first season at Stamford Bridge with 573 passes,
creating 66 chances and completing 61 successful crosses, which all contributed to Chelsea's
cup-double winning season.[47] He finished the Premier League season with 14 assists – second
highest in the league after Manchester City's David Silva – and six goals. [48]

2012–13 season
Mata missed all of Chelsea's pre-season games as he was playing for Spain at the 2012 Summer
Olympics in London, but he returned to play in the 2012 FA Community Shield against
Manchester City and was substituted after 74 minutes for Daniel Sturridge. Mata assisted his first
goal of the season on 22 September 2012 against Stoke City, providing a great flick to Ashley
Cole, which turned out to be the winning goal as Chelsea won 1–0.[49] He scored his first goal of
the season in the 2012–13 Football League Cup third round against Wolverhampton Wanderers,
with the game finishing 6–0 to Chelsea.[50] Four days later, he scored his first Premier League
goal of the season, assisting Fernando Torres for the opener and then scoring directly from a
free-kick in a 2–1 away win against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.[51]

Juan Mata in action for Chelsea in 2012

Mata scored Chelsea's first and third goal in the Champions League as Chelsea beat
Nordsjælland 0–4 away in Farum, Denmark.[52] He later provided two assists in Chelsea's 4–1
rout of Norwich City, sending Eden Hazard through on goal and later flicking a delightful ball
for defender Branislav Ivanović to volley in.[53] In a London Derby game against Tottenham
Hotspur at White Hart Lane on 20 October, Mata scored twice and provided an assist for Daniel
Sturridge in a 2–4 victory for Chelsea, where he also earned Man of the Match honours.[54] He
next scored in a Premier League match with a beautiful free kick against Manchester United.
Chelsea, however, lost the match 3–2 after a late controversial goal from Javier Hernández. Mata
went on to win the Premier League Player of the Month award for October after scoring three
league goals.[55]

After manager Roberto Di Matteo was sacked following a 3–0 defeat to Juventus in the
Champions League, Mata scored the first goal of new, interim manager Rafael Benítez's reign at
Chelsea against West Ham United, although Chelsea suffered a 3–1 defeat in this game.[56] He
scored again in Chelsea's win over Nordsjælland in a Champions League game, but Chelsea still
failed to advance to the knockouts despite a 6–1 win at home.[57] He added to his tally of goals
and his collection of fine performance at Sunderland in a 1–3 Chelsea win.[58] After this game,
Chelsea traveled to Japan for the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup. Here, too, Mata continued his top
form by scoring Chelsea's first goal in the tournament against Monterrey in the semi-final,
helping them on their course to the final with a 1–3 victory. The tournament, however, ended in
disappointment as Chelsea were beaten 1–0 by Brazilian club Corinthians in the final. The team
put the defeat behind them by completing an 8–0 routing of Aston Villa, a game in which though
Mata did not score a goal, but nevertheless played a very influential part.[59]

On 22 December 2012, Mata signed a contract extension with Chelsea which tied him up with
the club until 2018.[60] On Boxing Day, Chelsea traveled to Carrow Road to face Norwich City,
where both Manchester United and Arsenal had suffered defeats earlier in the season. Mata
scored a brilliant goal in the 38th minute, taking a pass from Oscar into his stride and launching
an unstoppable shot into the goal from 25 yards out. The goal turned out to be the winner.[61]
Then, on 5 January, Mata provided assists for new acquisition Demba Ba and Branislav Ivanović
to help Chelsea win 1–5 against Southampton in the 3rd round of the 2012–13 FA Cup.[62] A
week later, he forced an own goal from Jonathan Walters by putting in a tight corner and earned
a penalty which Frank Lampard converted. Chelsea went on to win the game 0–4, which was
Stoke's first home defeat of the season.[63] Mata scored his eighth goal of the season in the
Premier League against Arsenal in a 2–1 home win.[64]

On 3 March 2013, Mata made his 100th appearance in all competitions for Chelsea in a 1–0 win
over West Bromwich Albion at Stamford Bridge.[65] On 14 March, Mata scored an opening goal
in Chelsea's Europa League 3–1 (3–2) win against Steaua București.[66] On 19 April, Mata was
nominated for PFA Players' Player of the Year in recognition of his contribution to Chelsea's
season in all competitions. The PFA's decision was based on his "ability to not only create goals
but also score them himself" and saw him nominated alongside teammate Eden Hazard.[67] He
also netted an 87th-minute winner against Manchester United, a crucial one for Chelsea's
Champions League qualification hopes.[68][69]

On 15 May, Mata gave a fine performance in the 2013 UEFA Europa League Final against
Portugal's Benfica, assisting Branislav Ivanović's injury time winner from a corner kick.[70] The
next day, he was awarded Chelsea's Player's Player of the Year award. He modestly gave the
credit to the whole of the squad, saying that, "he felt proud to play for Chelsea," and thanked his
teammates. He was also awarded Chelsea's Player of the Year for the second successive season.
On winning his second award of the night, he said, "I feel so happy. It's my second season here
and winning the trophy two years in a row is amazing for me. I just want to say thank you to all
the supporters and all my teammates."[71]
Mata on tour with Chelsea in 2013

2013–14 season

Under new Chelsea manager José Mourinho, Mata spent a lot of time on the bench. Mourinho
preferred Oscar as a playmaker, and suggested Mata needed to adapt to a wider position and to
working harder defensively.[72] On 28 September 2013, Mata came on as a half-time substitute
against Tottenham Hotspur to assist John Terry to score an equaliser in a 1–1 draw,[73] but his
appearances in the first team remained infrequent. On 29 October, he scored his first goal of the
season in a 2–0 League Cup victory at London rivals Arsenal.[74]

Mata struggled to secure a regular first-team place under Mourinho as he had started just 11 of
Chelsea's 22 Premier League matches.[75] Mata scored 33 goals and provided 58 assists in 135
appearances over two-and-a-half seasons with Chelsea.

Manchester United

On 24 January 2014, Mourinho said Chelsea had accepted a transfer offer from Manchester
United and he allowed Mata to travel to Manchester to undergo a medical, after the player said
he was "really happy to go".[76] Manchester United confirmed later in the day that a transfer fee
had been agreed, but that the deal was still contingent on Mata agreeing personal terms and
passing a medical.[77] The transfer was completed the following day, with Manchester United
paying Chelsea a then club record fee of £37.1 million (€46 million), with Mata signing a
contract until the summer of 2018.[78]

2013–14 season

He made his debut against Cardiff City on 28 January and provided one assist in the 2–0 home
victory.[79] Mata scored his first goal for United in a 4–1 win over Aston Villa on 29 March
2014.[80] He also went on to score two goals against Newcastle United in a 4–0 away victory,[81]
two more against Norwich City after coming off the bench in another 4–0 win,[82] and the only
goal in a 1–1 draw against Southampton in the final match of the season.[83]
Juan Mata during a training session in Washington D.C.

Mata ended the season having scored six goals for Manchester United, all in the Premier League,
since he was cup tied and unable to play in the Champions League and other cup competitions
due to his participation in the tournaments with Chelsea earlier in the season.[84]

2014–15 season

Mata began the new season in fine form. He scored the only goal in Manchester United's second
game of the Premier League season, a 1–1 draw against Sunderland at Stadium of Light,[85]
following it up with a goal against Queens Park Rangers in a 4–0 thumping, which was also
Louis van Gaal's first competitive win in charge of United.[86] He was later dropped to the bench
for the following two matches, making cameo appearances against Leicester[87] and West
Ham,[88] with van Gaal preferring an attacking trinity of Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie and
new signing Radamel Falcao in both games.

Following Rooney's sending off and suspension due to a foul on Stewart Downing in the match
against West Ham,[89] Mata was reinstated to the starting lineup, and he started the next match
against Everton, a 2–1 win at Old Trafford in which he provided the assist for Ángel Di María's
goal.[90] Mata later scored winning goals in home games against Crystal Palace[91] and Stoke
City, the former after coming on as a second-half substitute. He made his return to the starting
line-ups for the first time, in a 3–0 win over Tottenham but was substituted in the 77th minute for
Andreas Pereira.[92] On 22 March 2015, Mata scored a brace, including a bicycle kick, in a 2–1
victory over Liverpool,[93] a performance which he rated as his best for Manchester United.[94][95]
His second goal against Liverpool was also voted as Premier League Goal of the Month in
March 2015.[96] His inspired performances led to him being named as Manchester United's
Player of the Month for March.[97]

2015–16 season

Mata, just as he had in the previous campaign, had a fine start to the season, getting an assist in
the second game of the campaign against Aston Villa,[98] which helped maintain his side's
impressive record at Villa Park.[99] September was a month to remember for Mata as he scored
two goals and made two assists in just three games, as Manchester United claimed wins against
Liverpool,[100] Southampton,[101] and Sunderland.[102] As a result, Mata was crowned the club's
Player of The Month.[103]
Mata was made captain for the home game against Watford on 2 March and scored a free kick,
which was also the match-winner.[104] On 6 March, in a 1–0 defeat to West Brom, Mata received
his first career red card after obtaining two yellow cards in the space of three minutes.[105] Mata
assisted an Anthony Martial goal against West Ham in the final game at the Boleyn Ground;
however, United lost 3–2, ending their chances of beating Manchester City for fourth-place.[106]

On 21 May 2016, Mata scored for United in the FA Cup Final against Crystal Palace, leveling
the score at 1–1 just three minutes after Jason Puncheon's 78th-minute goal. Mata was
substituted in the 90th minute and replaced by Jesse Lingard, who would score the winning goal
for United in extra time.[107]

2016–17 season

Mata (furthest right) captaining United against Burnley, 2016

At the beginning of the summer, Mata was reunited with his former Chelsea manager and the
person who sold him to Manchester United, José Mourinho.[108] On 7 August 2016, Mata was
selected to be on the bench in the FA Community Shield. Mata replaced Jesse Lingard in the
second half, then was substituted in added time for Henrikh Mkhitaryan.[109] Although there were
reports about tensions between the player and manager, after the match, Mata stated that there
were no tensions between him and Mourinho.[110] He started in the opening match of the season
against A.F.C. Bournemouth and scored Manchester United's first Premier League goal of the
season with a tap-in after Simon Francis' error.[111]

After José Mourinho dropped captain Wayne Rooney, Mata served as the stand-in captain in the
0–0 draw against Burnley on 29 October 2016.[112]

International career
Fernando Torres, Mata and Sergio Ramos celebrating after winning UEFA Euro 2012

Mata helped Spain win the 2006 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship, where he
was a key player. He finished the championship second to his teammate Alberto Bueno (five
goals) as top goal scorer of the competition, with four in five matches.[113]

On 1 February 2007, under-21 coach Iñaki Sáez included him on his squad for the friendly
against England, alongside Real Madrid teammates Roberto Soldado, José Manuel Jurado,
Sergio Sánchez, Miguel Torres, Esteban Granero, and Antonio Adán, at just 18 years and 10
months.

On 14 November 2008, Vicente del Bosque called up Mata for the senior team to play in a
friendly against Chile. He did not leave the bench in a 3–0 home win. On 28 March 2009, he
finally made his debut, playing in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Turkey, a 1–0 win
in Madrid. He came on as a substitute for teammate David Villa in the 63rd minute.

In June 2009, Del Bosque included Mata for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, the youngster's
first senior tournament. He started in the second group match against Iraq and came on as a
substitute for Albert Riera in the semi-final loss to the United States.

On 9 September 2009, Mata scored his first goal for the senior team, as the 3–0 win against
Estonia secured a place in the World Cup in South Africa. He followed this up with the winner
against Armenia on 10 October, scoring a penalty to steal a 2–1 win.[114] Picked for the final
stages, he appeared once for the eventual champions, replacing Fernando Torres for the final 20
minutes of the 2–0 group stage win against Honduras. In the following summer, he went back to
the under-21 side, playing the role of senior squad member and helped Spain win the 2011
UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship in Denmark. Mata himself was included in
UEFA's Team of the Tournament and named as the tournament's Golden Player.

Mata returned to the senior squad for UEFA Euro 2012 and, after coming on as a substitute,
scored Spain's fourth goal in the final as Spain defeated Italy 4–0 to retain their title as
champions of Europe.[115]

Mata was included in Spain's squad for the 2012 Olympic football tournament as one of their
three designated overage players. Spain, however, failed to score in any of their opening three
matches and were eliminated at the Group stage.[116]
Style of play
A skillful attacking midfielder, Mata is known for his passing and technique. At 5'7" he has a
medium build that further facilitates agile mobility. Mata also possesses great vision that allows
him to provide assists to accompanying forwards.[117]

Outside football
Charity work

On August 2017, Mata announced in an article for The Players' Tribune that he was pledging one
percent of his salary to a pledge-based charitable movement, named Common Goal, and called
for other football players to do the same.[118]

Career statistics
Club

As of match played 15 April 2018[119][120]

National League
League Europe Other[nb 1] Total
Seaso Cup Cup
Club
n Divisio App Goal App Goal App Goal App Goal App Goal App Goal
n s s s s s s s s s s s s
Segund
Real 2006– a
39 10 — — — — 39 10
Madrid 07 Divisió
Castilla n
Total 39 10 — — — — 39 10
2007–
24 5 8 4 — 1 0 — 33 9
08
2008–
37 11 2 1 — 6 1 2 1 47 14
09
La Liga
Valencia 2009–
35 9 2 0 — 14 5 — 51 14
10
2010–
33 8 3 0 — 7 1 — 43 9
11
Total 129 33 15 5 — 28 7 2 1 174 46
2011–
34 6 7 4 1 0 12 2 — 54 12
12
Premier
Chelsea 2012–
League 35 12 6 1 5 2 14 4 4 1 64 20
13
2013– 13 0 0 0 2 1 2 0 — 17 1
 14
Total 82 18 13 5 8 3 28 6 4 1 135 33
2013–
15 6 — — — — 15 6
14
2014–
33 9 2 1 0 0 — — 35 10
15
2015– Premier
Manchest 16 League 38 6 4 3 1 0 11 1 — 54 10
er United
2016–
25 6 3 0 3 2 10 2 1 0 42 10
17
2017–
26 3 4 0 1 0 6 0 0 0 37 3
18
Total 137 30 13 4 5 2 27 3 1 0 183 39
Career total 387 91 41 14 13 5 83 16 7 2 531 128

1.

1. Includes appearances in the Supercopa de España, FA Community Shield, UEFA Super

Cup and FIFA Club World Cup

International

Mata, Adrián López, and Alberto Botía lining up for Spain U21 in 2011
As of match played 15 November 2016[121]
National team Year Apps Goals
2009 7 3
2010 3 0
2011 6 2
2012 4 1
Spain
2013 12 3
2014 2 1
2015 4 0
2016 3 0
Career total 41 10
International goals

Scores and results list Spain's goal tally first.[121]

No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
9 September Estadio Romano, Mérida, 2010 FIFA World
1. Estonia 3–0 3–0
2009 Spain Cup qualification
Vazgen Sargsyan
10 October 2010 FIFA World
2. Republican Stadium, Armenia 2–1 2–1
2009 Cup qualification
Yerevan, Armenia
14 October Bilino Polje, Zenica, Bosnia and 2010 FIFA World
3. 5–0 5–2
2009 Bosnia and Herzegovina Herzegovina Cup qualification
Darius and Girėnas
29 March UEFA Euro 2012
4. Stadium, Kaunas, Lithuania 3–1 3–1
2011 qualifying
Lithuania
7 October Generali Arena, Prague, Czech UEFA Euro 2012
5. 1–0 2–0
2011 Czech Republic Republic qualifying
Olympic Stadium, Kyiv, UEFA Euro 2012
6. 1 July 2012 Italy 4–0 4–0
Ukraine Final
11 June Yankee Stadium, New Republic of
7. 2–0 2–0 Friendly
2013 York City, United States Ireland
20 June Estádio do Maracanã, 2013 FIFA
8. Tahiti 8–0 10–0
2013 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Confederations Cup
15 October Estadio Carlos Belmonte, 2014 FIFA World
9. Georgia 2–0 2–0
2013 Albacete, Spain Cup qualification
23 June Arena da Baixada, 2014 FIFA World
10. Australia 3–0 3–0
2014 Curitiba, Brazil Cup

Honours

Mata in a Chelsea suit wearing his Champions League medal

Club

Valencia[122]

 Copa del Rey: 2007–08

Chelsea[122]

 FA Cup: 2011–12
 UEFA Champions League: 2011–12
 UEFA Europa League: 2012–13

Manchester United[122]

 FA Cup: 2015–16
 EFL Cup: 2016–17
 FA Community Shield: 2016
 UEFA Europa League: 2016–17

International

Mata wearing his World Cup winners' medal

Spain[122]

 FIFA World Cup: 2010

 UEFA European Championship: 2012
 FIFA Confederations Cup: Runner-up 2013, Third-place 2009
Spain U21[122]

 UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 2011

Spain U19[122]

 UEFA European Under-19 Championship: 2006

Individual

 Copa del Rey top goalscorer: 2007–08[123]

 UEFA European Under-21 Championship Golden Player: 2011[124]
 UEFA European Under-21 Championship Bronze Boot: 2011[125]
 UEFA European Under-21 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2011[125]
 Chelsea Player of the Year: 2011–12, 2012–13[125]
 Chelsea Players' Player of the Year: 2012–13[126]
 Premier League Player of the Month: October 2012[127]
 Premier League PFA Team of the Year: 2012–13[128]
 Premier League Assist Leader: 2012–13[129]

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129.  "Barclays Premier League Statistics – ESPN FC". espnfc.com.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Juan Mata.

 Official website (in Spanish)

 Juan Mata – FIFA competition record
 Juan Mata – UEFA competition record
 Profile on the Premier League
 Juan Mata at BDFutbol
 National team data at BDFutbol
 Juan Mata at Soccerbase
 Juan Mata at Soccerway

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 1988 births
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