Nemanja Matić was born on 1 August 1988 in Šabac, Serbia, and began playing football as a child before starting his senior career at Kolubara. He moved to Slovak club Košice in 2007, which led to a £1.5 million transfer to Chelsea in 2009. Used sparingly in his first spell in west London, he spent time on loan at Vitesse before joining Benfica in 2011 as part of the deal that brought David Luiz to Chelsea. At Benfica, he was converted into a defensive midfielder and earned the Primeira Liga Player of the Year award for the 2012–13 season.
Matić returned to Chelsea in January 2014 for £21 million and became a key figure in the side, winning two Premier League titles and earning a place in the PFA Team of the Year for 2014–15. In July 2017, he reunited with manager José Mourinho by signing for Manchester United, where his composed half-volley against Crystal Palace in March 2018 was voted the club's goal of the season. He left United in 2022, going on to play for Roma and Rennes before joining Lyon in January 2024.
A left-footed defensive midfielder, Matić is known for his positional intelligence, physical presence, and ability to protect the backline while allowing attacking teammates to play with freedom.
He now plays for Serie A side Sassuolo, who signed him in August 2025 following the mutual termination of his Lyon contract.
Matić made his senior international debut for Serbia in December 2008 and went on to earn 48 caps, scoring twice, before retiring from international football in 2020. He represented Serbia at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.