As reported by the club’s official website, Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata expressed his delight upon winning the UEFA Equal Game award.
The 33-year-old Spaniard is one of three recipients of the award, which recognizes outstanding efforts to promote inclusiveness and diversity in sport.
Juan Mata will be honoured alongside the other winners, Khalida Popal and the German Football Association (DFB). The governing body will stream the ceremony starting at 6 p.m. tomorrow.
Mata and his contemporaries have shown “outstanding leadership qualities in creating a more open, diverse and accessible game,” according to a UEFA statement, and each of them has also “given a powerful example to follow” with their respective acts.
Expressing his delight after winning the trophy, the Spaniard said:
“I was proud of the work that our organizations are doing there and proud of the stories of people that have overcome difficult problems. This is what we want to do through Common Goal, give people choice to decide their futures.”
The United midfielder has only played 151 minutes this season despite being capped 41 times by Spain, but he continues to shine off the field with his work for Common Goal, a charity he co-founded in 2017.
Common Goal uses football’s force and appeals to combat gender inequity, promote inclusion, and provide more opportunities for the unprivileged children in socially challenged regions.
It also motivates athletes, coaches, and other public figures to donate 1% of their earnings to the charity.
