Juan Mata succeeded David Beckham when he became an MLS team owner after announcing he would join San Diego FC’s investment group. The former Chelsea and Manchester United midfielder, who now plays for Western Sydney Wanderers in Australia’s A League, has become the first active player to become a partner in an American franchise. San Diego will be part of the Western Conference starting in 2025.
The award of an expansion slot was announced in May 2023, with San Diego chosen over Las Vegas, whose bid was backed by Aston Villa’s owners. The 2025 launch came too late for Mata to be involved as a player, with the Spanish midfielder, who was released by Vissel Kobe in January, eventually joining Sydney as a free agent in September. Now he has become a co-owner with a small shareholding while continuing as a professional, unlike David Beckham, whose ownership of Inter Miami was included in his MLS contract when he joined LA Galaxy but was not announced until he was retired.
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San Diego is owned by British-Egyptian billionaire and former Conservative Party donor and treasurer Mohamed Mansour and by a California Native American tribe, the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation. They reportedly paid $500 million (£395 million) for the expansion slot.
Mansour, who was Transport Secretary in Hosni Mubarak’s government, was knighted by Rishi Sunak in March after previously donating £5 million to the Tory Party. In 2021, the Mansour Group bought the Right to Dream football academy in a $120 million takeover, which is where the relationship with Mata comes from. Right to Dream, founded in Accra in 1999 by former Manchester United scout Tom Vernon, was one of the organizations that became part of Mata’s Common Goal charity. Vernon is one of the founders of San Diego.
Right to Dream, a non-profit organization, also owns FC Nordsjaelland in Denmark and FC Masar in Egypt.
In a statement released Wednesday evening, Mata said: “Joining San Diego FC as a partner is a great opportunity to help build something very special in a city and league that is experiencing incredible growth. 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 with everyone here to create a club that inspires both on and off the pitch.”