Juan Mata Garcia is one of the most respected footballers in the Premier League and the football world. His humble demeanor, football skills, and simplicity of conduct makes him one of the most likable figures in football. He has been a fan favorite at every club he has been, so much so that he was voted Chelsea’s “Player of the Year” by the fans two years in a row!
In these changing times at Manchester United, and with a squad full of young players, Juan Mata plays a key role as the senior-most player in the squad. And with a CV which includes a World Cup, European Championship and a Champions League, it is evident that he is very important to Manchester United’s future.
Here are some facts which will talk about Juan Mata’s personal life, networth, childhood, lifestyle, girlfriend, career, family background, cars, etc.
1. Like father, like son!
Juan Mata has football in his blood. And the reason is, his father. His father, Juan Manuel Mata Rodriguez was a professional footballer and played as a forward for Burgos CF and Real Oviedo in Spain in the 1980s and 1990s. His father is now his agent. He started managing and taking care of all of Juan Mata’s activities off the pitch. He also got FIFA registered as an agent in the process.
Football is not the only thing he inherited from his father. Juan Mata also inherited his name too. They both have the same name.
Clearly, they are the same in many respects!
2. Born to play football
Juan Mata started playing football at the very young age of just 5. He played for local academies like La Fresneda and Juventud Estadio in his hometown of Oviedo. Then at 12 years of age, he joined the Real Oviedo football academy, the club where his father spent a major part of his career. Mata spent 3 years at the El Requexon.
3. Mata has played for Real Madrid!
Yes! As a young player, Juan Mata was supremely talented. In his days at the Real Oviedo academy, Mata gained a lot of attention for his performances and was being scouted by many top academies. In 2003, st the age of 15, he was called up by the Real Madrid academy.
After playing for their Cadete A team, he swiftly progressed through the junior teams from Juvenile C to Juvenil A.
Then in 2006, Mata was promoted to the Real Madrid Castilla, their reserve team. Juan played for Castilla for one year in which he finished as the second-highest scorer for his team in that season.
4. He has a fan club in Valencia which is still active!
Yes! Mata signed for Valencia in March 2007. He had a wonderful time at Valencia. In his first season, he scored twice against Barcelona in the semifinal of the Copa del Rey. Valencia went on to win the final against Getafe, in which he scored the opening goal. He was so impressive that season the fans and players both voted him as the Best Young Player of the Year for Valencia. He went on to enjoy a successful time at Valencia during which the consistently qualified for the Champions League and closed the gap between them and the top 2 teams, Real Madrid and Barcelona. He scored 46 goals and provide 52 assists in that time.
Mata was so popular among the Valencia fans that they started a fan club in his name. It is called as the ” Peña Valencianista Juan Mata.” And even though 9 years have passed since Mata left Valencia, it is still active!
5. A fan favorite at Chelsea!
Mata signed for Chelsea in August 2011. Chelsea paid 23.5 million pounds to sign him from Valencia. Mata enjoyed a very successful time at Chelsea. He managed to win many trophies and also the hearts of the fans. Mata won the Champions League with Chelsea in his first season. It was Chelsea’s first-ever Champions League win. He assisted Didier Drogba’s equalizer in the final against Bayern Munich, which took the game to a penalty shootout which Chelsea eventually won. Chelsea also won the FA Cup that season.Mata was voted as Chelsea’s player of the year by the fans.
In his second season, he won the UEFA Europa League with Chelsea. He was their standout player that season and was voted as the player of the year by the fans for a second time in a row! He was also included in the PFA Premier League team of the year.
6. Manchester United’s record transfer
After Jose Mourinho became the Chelsea manager in 2014, Mata’s playtime reduced significantly. Mata wasn’t fitting into Mourinho’s plans. So in January 2014, he signed for Manchester United.
How much did United pay for Mata?
United paid Chelsea a whopping 37.1 million pounds for Mata, which was the highest amount they had ever paid for any player until then. Mata made his debut for United on 28th January 2014 against Cardiff.
7. A World Champion and a European Champion
Mata has been very very successful with the Spanish National Team at all levels. Mata was a part of Spain’s World Cup-winning squad of 2010. He was a part of the team that won the UEFA Euro 2012. He has won the European Championship with Spain at the Under 19 and Under 21 level. He won the Golden Player at the Under 21 European Championships.
8. How much is Juan Mata worth?
Mata is a very experienced player and has had a long career that has spanned 13 years and he is still going strong. He has earned a lot and is worth around 55 million dollars.
How much does Mata earn?
Juan Mata earns a salary of 8.32 million pounds a year, which is around 160 thousand pounds a week. His market value is around 15 million Euros.
9. Juan Mata’s brand endorsements
Mata endorses a lot of brands. His popularity makes him a marketable face and attracts a lot of brands. He has a long list of brands he endorses. Mata’s main sportswear brand is Adidas. He wears shoes and apparel of the brand on and off the field.
He also endorses Swiss watchmakers IWC Schaffhausen. His endorsements also include a luxury Spanish apparel brand named Loewe and also Beats by Dr. Dre.
10. Philanthropy
Juan Mata is a kind-hearted and a humble man. That’s is what makes him one of the most likable footballers in the world. He is part of a lot of philanthropic projects too. Mata helped the organization streetfootballworld launch the Common Goal initiative, which encourages footballers and coaches to donate one percent of their salaries to a collective fund that supports football charities around the world.
In addition to that, Mata works with UNICEF and Save the Children Foundation for helping kids in Africa to live a better life. Mata is also associated with Aldeas Infantiles SOS which helps kids in vulnerable situations. Last but not the least, Mata works with Laureus for the physical and mental development of children through sport.
11. Which cars does Mata drive?
Mata has a huge car collection and drives a lot of luxury cars. He owns an Aston Martin DB9, Bentley Continental GT Speed, a Volvo XC60, Mercedes-Benz GLE 4Matic, and a Mercedes-Benz C300 Coupe.
12. Personal Life
Who is Juan Mata’s girlfriend?
Juan Mata is dating Evalina Kamph. She has done her masters in osteopathy and accompanies Juan Mata in his philanthropic endeavors.
Mata enjoys other sports too
Mata used to play table tennis as a kid. He supports an organization called Surf Solidario, a non-profit organization that focuses on surfing at all levels.
13. Mata’s Indian connection
Juan Mata visited the Ambedkar Nagar slum in Mumbai as a part of his visit to the Oscar Foundation in Mumbai and also as a part of the Common Goal project. There he played football with the kids of the foundation. He said, “Seeing those kids and the way that they live, and the way that football has changed their life, it gives you as a footballer, a deeper meaning of what your profession is. It gives you a different perspective about how big football is as a power for uniting people.”
He also invited 14 kids from the foundation on an all-expense-paid trip to visit Old Trafford.
