World Cup winner Juan Mata buys into MLS team

The former Chelsea and Manchester United star is following in David Beckham's footsteps by becoming a team owner.

There is no shortage of celebrity owners in the MLS. The likes of David Beckham (Inter Miami), Matthew McConaughey (Austin FC), Will Ferrell (LAFC) and James Harden (Houston Dynamo) all have a hand in teams.

Next year, San Diego FC will join as the league's 30th club and they have a famous face involved.

On Wednesday, former Premier League star Juan Mata announced he is joining San Diego's ownership group ahead of their debut season. He wrote on social media: “I see this move as an opportunity to build something very special in a city and a league that is experiencing incredible growth.”

Juan Mata came through the Real Madrid academy system from Castilla before moving to LaLiga side Valencia. After impressing in Spain – winning the 2010 World Cup with the national team – Mata moved to Chelsea in 2011. He played for Chelsea for three years before moving to rivals Manchester United.

After more than a decade in the Premier League, he spent the final years of his career with Galatasaray, Vissel Kobe and currently Western Sydney Wanderers.

At just 36 years old, Juan Mata is the first active soccer player to become an owner of an MLS team. The deal to buy San Diego is in line with his work with the Right to Dream football academy.

In 2021, Right to Dream Academy was purchased in a $120 million acquisition by the Mansour Group, which is led by San Diego co-owner Mohamed Mansour. The consortium of Mansour and the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation paid a $500 million expansion fee to bring the league's 30th team to San Diego.