Juan Mata Height, Age, Girlfriend, Family, Biography

Some Lesser Known Facts About Juan Mata

• Juan Mata liked playing football during his childhood as he often watched his father, Juan Manuel Mata Rodríguez, a professional footballer who played as a forward for Burgos CF. He was 5 years old at that time.
  

  A childhood photo of Juan Mata

• He later played for La Fresneda and Juventud Estadio in local football tournaments.
  

  Juan Mata when he played football in his teenage years

• In 2000, he started training in football at Real Oviedo and moved to Real Madrid’s youth academy, La Fábrica, in 2003. He later played for many youth teams of Real Madrid. In the 2006-2007 season, he played for Real Madrid Castilla.
  

  Juan Mata (middle) when he trained at Real Oviedo

• Mata was a Spanish team member in the 2006 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship and scored 4 goals in 5 appearances, helping Spain win the competition.
  

  Juan Mata when he played for France Under-19

• He also played for Spain-Under 16 in the Copa do Atlântico and 2007 Under-20 World Cup in Canada. He also played for Under-17, Under-20, and Under-21 teams.
  

  Juan Mata during his teenage years

• In March 2007, he signed a contract with the La Liga club Valencia CF which started on 30 June 2007. He helped his team win the 2008 Copa Del Rey Trophy.
  

  Juan Mata when he played for Valencia CF

• He was liked by fans for his abilities who later formed Juan Mata’s fan club ‘Peña Valencianista Juan Mata.’
  

  Juan Mata’s fans making his jersey number 8 with their hair

• In 2010, he played for Spain in the FIFA World Cup held in South Africa and helped his team win the tournament, Spain’s first World Cup win.
  

  Juan Mata holding the 2010 FIFA World Cup Trophy

• On 21 August 2011, the Premier League club Chelsea paid a £23.5 million fee and signed Mata on a 5-year contract.

• On 27 August 2011, he made his debut for Chelsea against Norwich City. He played his first Champions League match for Chelsea against Bayer Leverkusen on 14 September 2011.
  

  Juan Mata when he played for Chelsea

• He initially played as a left winger but started playing as a central-attacking midfielder after Roberto Di Matteo became the coach of Chelsea.

• In 2012, he, along with Premier League players Santi Cazorla and Michu, bought shares worth €2 million in the club Real Oviedo.

• In 2013, he was fined £200 for speeding in his Aston Martin A3 car and 3 points were also put on his driving licence. He reportedly was driving at a speed of 63mph in a 50mph limit in Esher, Surrey.

• He also represented Spain in the 2012 UEFA Euro, 2012 London Olympics, and 2014 FIFA World Cup held in Brazil.
  

  Juan Mata playing for Spain

• He missed the penalty in the 2012 UEFA Champions League but Chelsea managed to win the title.
  

  Juan Mata with the 2012 UEFA Champions League Trophy

• On 3 March 2013, he played his 100th match (across all competitions) for Chelsea against West Bromwich Albion at Stamford Bridge.

• In 2013, after Jose Mourinho became Chelsea’s manager, he was not included in the starting 11 of Chelsea in many matches.

• In January 2014, he joined Manchester United for a club-record fee of £37.1 million (€46 million) with a 4-year contract till 2018.
  

  Juan Mata (right) when he joined Manchester United

• Mata helped United win the 2015–2016 FA Cup, 2016 FA Community Shield, 2016–2017 UEFA Europa League, and 2016–2017 EFL Cup.
  

  Juan Mata with FA Community Shield Trophy

• In May 2016, he and his father opened a Spanish restaurant, Tapeo and Wine, on Deansgate in Manchester city centre which closed in 2020 due to Covid-19.
  

  Juan Mata at his restaurant, Tapeo and Wine

• He had some difficulties in conversation with his English mates, but he learned the English language quickly within a year.

• In August 2017, he started donating 1% of his salary to a charitable movement named Common Goal and requested other footballers to donate as well. He started this campaign after seeing boys play football in the slums of Mumbai.
  

  A poster of Juan Mata when he joined the charity organisation, Common Goal

• In June 2019, he extended his contract with Manchester United for 2 years till June 2021, which he later extended for one more year.
  

  Juan Mata playing for Manchester United in the 2019-2020 season

• In September 2019, a book based on his life was released which was titled Suddenly a Footballer: My Story.
  

  Cover of the book based on Juan Mata’s life

• From 2021 to 2022, he did a diploma in football leadership and management from UEFA (Union of European Football Associations).

• In September 2022, Turkish Süper Lig club Galatasaray acquired him for one year. He helped the team win the 2022-2023 season of the Super Lig.
  

  Juan Mata playing for Galatasaray in a football match

• From 2022 to 2023, he did a diploma in club management from FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association). He said that he would like to become a coach or manager after his retirement as a player.

• In September 2023, he signed a contract with the Japanese J1 League club Vissel Kobe and left the club after his contract expired on 6 January 2024.
  

  Juan Mata with J1 League Trophy when he played for Vissel Kobe

• In November 2023, Mata became a member of the investment group of Formula One’s Alpine Racing team.
  

  Juan Mata (right) after joining the investment team of Alpine Racing team

• His style of play includes playmaking as a winger or midfielder, and he is known for his control skills, technique, passing abilities, creativity, and vision. He is a free-kick specialist with his dominant left foot.
  

  Juan Mata handling the ball with his left foot

• He is an animal lover and likes horses.
  

  Juan Mata with a horse

• Mata likes drinking alcohol and whiskey during parties or celebrations.
  

  Juan Mata (centre) with his girlfriend during a visit to a distillery