Juan Mata

Juan Manuel Mata Garcia – born 28 April 1988 – is a Spanish professional footballer. He primarily plays as an attacking midfielder, but can also play as a winger.

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. In 2011, Mata signed for English club Chelsea, before joining Manchester United in 2014. He would then spend a year at Galatasaray in 2022.

Mata played 41 times for the Spain senior team, scoring 10 goals from 2009-2016.

In 2026, Mata served as a pundit on ITV’s coverage of the 2026 World Cup.