Juan Mata was born on 28 April 1988 in Burgos, Spain, and grew up in Oviedo. He began his footballing education at Real Oviedo before joining Real Madrid's youth academy, La Fábrica, at the age of 15. After a season with Real Madrid Castilla, he moved to Valencia in 2007, where he spent four seasons and scored in the Copa del Rey final as Valencia defeated Getafe 3–1 to claim the title in 2008.
In August 2011, Mata signed for Chelsea for around £23.5 million. His first two seasons at Stamford Bridge were decorated with major honours: the UEFA Champions League and FA Cup in 2011–12, followed by the UEFA Europa League in 2012–13. He was voted Chelsea's Player of the Year in both of those seasons. In January 2014, he moved to Manchester United for £37.1 million, going on to make 285 appearances over nine seasons and adding the FA Cup, EFL Cup, Europa League, and FA Community Shield to his collection.
A creative, technically precise attacking midfielder, Mata reads the game quietly and links play with short passes and well-timed assists rather than physical presence.
For Spain, he earned his first senior cap in 2009 and went on to collect 41 caps, scoring 10 goals. He was part of the squads that won the 2010 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2012, scoring in the Euro 2012 final as Spain defeated Italy 4–0.
Mata currently plays for Melbourne Victory in Australia's A-League Men.