International star Juan Mata joins MLS expansion franchise San Diego FC ownership group

SAN DIEGO – Spanish star and world champion Juan Mata has joined the San Diego FC ownership group, making him the first active international soccer player to own a stake in Major League Soccer.

Mata will join David Beckham as the second international player to own MLS.

“Joining San Diego FC as a partner is an exciting opportunity to help build something truly special in a city and league that is experiencing incredible growth,” Mata said in a statement. He added that the commitment to community from both the club and the Right to Dream Academy “fits perfectly with my own values. I look forward to sharing my experience and passion for the game and working with everyone here to build a club that inspires both on and off the pitch.”

Since September he has been playing for the Western Sydney Wanderers team of the Australian A-League.

Mata has been a big name in international football for many years. He has won club honors in England, Spain, Turkey and Japan and was a key player in the golden era of the Spanish men’s team, which won the 2010 World Cup and the 2012 European Championship.

A product of Real Madrid’s youth academy, Mata began his professional career at Real Madrid Castilla before moving to Valencia in 2007, where he won the Copa del Rey the following year. Mata signed for Chelsea in 2011, where he played a pivotal role in helping the London club win the UEFA Champions League, FA Cup and UEFA Europa League titles, winning Chelsea’s Player of the Year award twice during that time.

He joined Manchester United in 2014, winning the FA Cup, Europa League and EFL Cup in nine seasons. He joined Turkish club Galatasaray in 2022, where he celebrated his first league title, and then signed with Japanese side Vissel Kobe in 2023, where he won the league again.

Mata founded the Common Goal initiative by donating 1% of his salary to social causes.