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Jeff Carlisle, U.S. soccer correspondent
Former Spain international and World Cup winner Juan Mata has joined the ownership group of MLS expansion side San Diego FC, the club announced on Wednesday.
Mata, currently playing with Australian A-League Men side Western Sydney Wanderers, is the first active international soccer player to hold an ownership stake in an MLS team, and joins Inter Miami CF co-owner David Beckham as only the second international player to be involved in MLS ownership.
San Diego, which will begin play next season, is owned by Egyptian businessman and club chairman Sir Mohamed Mansour, with the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, a Native American tribe whose reservation is located near El Cajon, California, also in the ownership group.
Mansour also owns Danish club FC Nordsjælland and the Right to Dream Academy, a soccer academy which has facilities in Ghana, Egypt, and Denmark.
“We are absolutely delighted that Juan Mata has joined the club as a partner,” said Mansour. “Juan has been an active and long-term supporter of Right to Dream, and he shares our values of wanting to use football to deliver long-term social impact and change.”
Mata, 36, founded the Common Goal initiative in 2017, pledging one percent of his salary to social causes. Common Goal is a partner of Right to Dream (RTD).
“Joining San Diego FC as a partner is an exciting opportunity to help build something truly special in a city and league that are experiencing incredible growth,” said Mata in a statement released by the team. “The commitment of both this Club and Right to Dream to community impact, excellence, and a vision for long-term success aligns perfectly with my own values. I look forward to contributing my experience and passion for the game and working alongside everyone here to build a Club that inspires both on and off the pitch.”
Mata has enjoyed a glittering career as a player, one that, in addition to his World Cup exploits has seen him win Euro 2012 with Spain, and the 2011-12 UEFA Champions League with Chelsea.
“Juan’s addition to SDFC’s ownership group brings a global perspective and a commitment to positive social impact that perfectly aligns with our Club’s mission,” said SDFC CEO Tom Penn. “As a World Cup champion, Champions League winner, and a leader both on and off the field, Juan embodies excellence and purpose in everything he does. His passion for using football as a force for good resonates deeply with our vision for our SDFC and our community, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome him to our Club.”
A product of Real Madrid‘s youth academy, Mata began his professional career with Real Madrid Castilla before transferring to Valencia CF in 2007, where he won the Copa del Rey the following year.
Mata signed for Chelsea in 2011, and in addition to the Champions League, he was part of sides that claimed the 2012 FA Cup, and the 2013 UEFA Europa League titles. He also earned Chelsea’s Player of the Year honors twice in that span.
Mata also enjoyed success upon joining Manchester United in January of 2014, winning the FA Cup, Europa League and EFL Cup during his nine seasons with the club. He later won league titles in Turkey with Galatasaray, and in Japan with Vissel Kobe.
He joined Western Sydney Wanderers in September of this year.
Mata is a strategic investor in Alpine Racing Ltd, a Formula 1 team backed by Renault Group through Otro Capital, a private investment fund focused on sports, media, and entertainment ventures.