Juan Mata Joins Populous as Special Advisor on Football and Training

One of the most respected figures in world football, Mata brings 20 years of experience at the highest levels of the game, winning his first trophy with Spain at the Euro U19 tournament in 2006. He will now use his experience to provide strategic insight and athlete-led perspective to the design of elite football training centres and high-performance environments around the world.

Mata’s relationship with Populous carries a unique connection, as won the 2010 FIFA World Cup with Spain at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg and lifted multiple major club trophies at Wembley Stadium in London, both iconic venues designed by the firm.

In total Mata has played almost 200 games at Populous-designed stadiums, during a career that saw him win 14 major trophies with some of the world’s leading clubs, including the UEFA Champions League at Chelsea, and the UEFA Europa League with Manchester United.  After leaving The Premier League in 2022 he has played for Galatasaray, Vissel Kobe and Western Sydney Wanderers, then spent the 2026 season at Melbourne Victory, where he won the A-League’s and the club’s Player of the Year awards.

Mata is also known for his initiatives beyond the pitch: he is an investor in Mercury 13, a multi-cub ownership group focused on women’s football; and a partner with San Diego FC and the Right To Dream Academy, giving young players from Africa the chance to develop their careers. He is also a tireless campaigner for social organisations, including Common Goal, Street Football World and UNICEF.

In his advisory role, Mata will work closely with Populous’ global training facilities design team, contributing insights from a player and technical perspective to help inform the design of future football training centres. His involvement will include design reviews, strategic discussions with project teams, participation in client workshops, and engagement with Populous staff across its international studios.

The partnership builds on Populous’ commitment to designing training environments through the lens of the athlete. The practice has delivered more than 250 training facilities globally and has developed a specialist methodology centred on performance, wellbeing, recovery, learning, and long-term athlete development.

“Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate to experience some of the best training environments in football,” said Juan Mata. Mata continued:

What I’ve learned is that great facilities are about much more than buildings. The best environments help players perform, recover, learn, connect and grow. Every detail influences the daily experience of athletes and staff.

Populous understands that. Their approach puts performance and people at the centre of design, and I’m excited to contribute my experiences to help shape the next generation of football training centres.

Populous’ training facility philosophy is founded on a performance-first approach that recognises the training facility as one of the most important assets within any football organisation. The practice combines expertise in architecture, interior design, brand activation, strategy, technology and performance planning to create environments that support athletes holistically – physically, mentally and socially.

Declan Sharkey, Global Director at Populous, said Mata’s appointment would strengthen the firm’s ability to bring real-world player insight into the design process.

Juan has experienced elite football at every level of the game. He understands first-hand what makes a training environment successful, from innovation across player performance and recovery to culture, wellbeing and development.

His perspective will help our teams continue to challenge conventional thinking and ensure our projects reflect the realities of modern football and the needs of players and technical staff. We are delighted to welcome Juan as a Special Advisor and look forward to working together on projects around the world.

The partnership also reflects the growing importance of athlete-centred design in football. As clubs continue to invest in high-performance infrastructure, training facilities are evolving beyond traditional practice grounds into integrated ecosystems that support performance, recovery, nutrition, wellness, education, data, community and culture.

For Populous, the collaboration with Mata further strengthens a growing network of elite athletes, coaches and performance experts who contribute directly to the firm’s research, innovation and project development activities.

As football continues to evolve, Populous and Juan Mata share a common ambition: creating environments that help athletes and organisations achieve their highest potential.