Max Mata
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Max Andrew Mata[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 10 July 2000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Auckland, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Auckland FC (on loan from Shrewsbury Town) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| –2018 | Onehunga Sports | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2017 | Wellington Phoenix Reserves | 16 | (8) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Eastern Suburbs | 18 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | Grasshopper II | 10 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | → Nõmme Kalju (loan) | 14 | (9) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | Real Monarchs | 19 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Sligo Rovers | 50 | (18) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023– | Shrewsbury Town | 22 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | → Sligo Rovers (loan) | 14 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | → Auckland FC (loan) | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | New Zealand U-17 | 7 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | New Zealand U-20 | 6 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019– | New Zealand | 14 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 30 June 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 30 June 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Max Andrew Mata (born 10 July 2000) is a New Zealand professional footballer who plays as a forward for A-League club Auckland, on loan from EFL League One club Shrewsbury Town, and the New Zealand national team.
Club career
[edit]New Zealand
[edit]After shining in New Zealand as the youngest goalscorer in the country's top-flight at 15, Mata travelled to Switzerland to train with Grasshoppers. After an impressive trial period, he signed for the club.
Grasshoppers
[edit]After scoring four goals in his first seven games for the reserves, he was loaned to Estonian side, Nõmme Kalju, in 2019 to further his development in a first-team environment. Mata never established himself with Zurich's first-team.
Loan to Nõmme Kalju
[edit]After joining on loan, Mata made his professional debut for Nõmme Kalju in their 5–0 loss to Celtic in the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round on 24 July 2019.[2] Mata would make 20 appearances for the club in all competitions, scoring 12 times.
Real Monarchs
[edit]Mata left Switzerland on a free transfer in December 2020 and signed for American second-tier side, Real Monarchs.[3]
Sligo Rovers
[edit]On 15 February 2022, it was announced that Mata had signed for League of Ireland Premier Division club Sligo Rovers.[4] He was named Sligo Rovers' Young Player of the Year in the same year.[5] He finished the 2022 season with seven goals and four assists in sixteen appearances in the league,[6][7] as well as scoring twice in the Europa Conference League.[7] In July 2022, he signed a contract extension until at least the end of the 2024 season.[8] In February 2023, he scored a hat-trick in a 3–2 win away to UCD at the UCD Bowl.[9]
Shrewsbury Town
[edit]On 3 August 2023, Mata signed for League One club Shrewsbury Town on a three-year deal.[10]
Loan to Sligo Rovers
[edit]On 15 February 2024, it was announced that Mata had returned to Sligo Rovers, on loan until the summer.[11] He scored 4 goals in 14 appearances during his time back on loan with the club.[12]
Loan to Auckland
[edit]On 3 June 2024, it was announced that Mata had joined newly formed A-League side Auckland on loan.[13]
International career
[edit]Youth
[edit]Mata was named in the New Zealand U-20 side for the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He was picked for the tournament even though he would be unavailable for the first two games of the tournament due to a red card that he picked up in the final of the OFC U-19 Championship qualifiers.[14][15] Mata ended up making two appearances for the U-20s, first in the last group game against Uruguay, where he captained the team, and in the round of 16 penalty shootout loss to Colombia.[16][17]
Senior
[edit]Mata made his international debut on 15 November 2019, coming on as a substitute for New Zealand in their 0–1 loss to Lithuania.[18] After a long spell out of the national team, he earned a call up in March 2023 for two friendly fixtures against China,[19] followed by another callup in June for friendlies against Sweden and Qatar.[20]
Personal life
[edit]Mata is of Māori and Cook Island Māori descent.[21] His older brother, Benjamin, is a footballer playing for Wellington Olympic and the Cook Islands national team.[22][23]
Career statistics
[edit]Club
[edit]- As of match played 10 May 2024[24]
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Wellington Phoenix Reserves | 2015–16 | NZFC | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 3 | ||
| 2016–17 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 10 | 5 | ||||
| Eastern Suburbs | 2016–17 | NZFC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2017–18 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 3 | ||||
| Total | 34 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 11 | ||
| Grasshopper Club | 2018–19 | Swiss Super League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Nõmme Kalju (loan) | 2019 | Meistriliiga | 14 | 9 | 1 | 0 | — | 4[a] | 0 | 19 | 9 | |
| Real Monarchs | 2021 | USL Championship | 19 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 19 | 2 | |
| Sligo Rovers | 2022 | LOI Premier Division | 27 | 7 | 0 | 0 | — | 3[b] | 2 | 30 | 9 | |
| 2023 | 23 | 11 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 24 | 12 | ||||
| Total | 50 | 18 | 1 | 1 | — | 3 | 2 | 54 | 21 | |||
| Shrewsbury Town | 2023–24 | EFL League One | 22 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[c] | 0 | 26 | 1 |
| 2024–25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 22 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 26 | 1 | ||
| Sligo Rovers (loan) | 2024 | LOI Premier Division | 14 | 4 | — | — | — | 14 | 4 | |||
| Auckland FC (loan) | 2024–25 | A-League Men | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 4 | ||
| Career total | 153 | 45 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 166 | 47 | ||
- ^ Two appearances in UEFA Champions League and two appearances in UEFA Europa League
- ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
- ^ Appearances in EFL Trophy
International
[edit]- As of match played 30 June 2024[25]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | 2019 | 1 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 5 | 2 | |
| Total | 14 | 2 | |
International goals
[edit]| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 June 2024 | VFF Freshwater Stadium, Port Vila, Vanuatu |  Vanuatu | 1–0 | 4–0 | 2024 OFC Nations Cup |
| 2 | 30 June 2024 | VFF Freshwater Stadium, Port Vila, Vanuatu | Vanuatu | 3–0 | 3–0 |
Honours
[edit]New Zealand U17
New Zealand U19
New Zealand
Individual
- OFC U-19 Men's Championship Golden Boot: 2018
References
[edit]- ^ "FIFA U-20 World Cup Poland 2019: List of Players: New Zealand" (PDF). FIFA. 13 June 2019. p. 11. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 February 2020.
- ^ "Celtic 5–0 Nomme Kalju: Griffiths scores first goal since November in rout". BBC Sport. 24 July 2019.
- ^ "Real Monarchs Add New Zealand Forward Max Mata". www.rsl.com. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
- ^ "Max Mata signs for Sligo Rovers – Sligo Rovers". 15 February 2022.
- ^ "Max Mata named Wehrly Bros/Sligo Rovers Young POTY – Sligo Rovers". 28 October 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- ^ "Summary - Premier Division - Republic of Ireland - Results, fixtures, tables and news - Soccerway". ie.soccerway.com. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- ^ a b "New Zealand - M. Mata - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway". ie.soccerway.com. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- ^ "Max Mata extends his Rovers' contract – Sligo Rovers". 26 July 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- ^ Buttner, Paul (24 February 2023). "Mata hits hat-trick as Sligo snatch points at UCD" – via www.rte.ie.
- ^ "Salop sign international striker Max Mata!". www.shrewsburytown.com. 3 August 2023. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
- ^ "Mata makes Sligo Rovers return months after departure". RTÉ.ie. 15 February 2024.
- ^ "New Zealand - M. Mata - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway".
- ^ "AFC blend youth with experience as two more signings announced". 3 June 2024.
- ^ Voerman, Andrew (14 May 2019). "Ban no barrier to Kiwi striker Max Mata making Fifa Under-20 World Cup squad". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
- ^ "Talented New Zealand team heading into Fifa Under-20 World Cup full of confidence". Stuff.co.nz. 23 May 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
- ^ "Uruguay end group stage with perfect record". FIFA. Archived from the original on 17 May 2019. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
- ^ "Cafeteros outlast Kiwis in dramatic shoot-out". FIFA. Archived from the original on 17 May 2019. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
- ^ Voerman, Andrew. "Second-string All Whites fail to seize opportunities in loss to Lithuania". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
- ^ "All Whites squad named for home series vs China". www.nzfootball.co.nz.
- ^ "All Whites squad announced for games this month against Sweden and Qatar". www.nzfootball.co.nz. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
- ^ "Young Kiwi signs professional football contract in Europe – 'proud of my family name and where I have come from'" – via TVNZ.
- ^ friendsoffootballnz_irqgpj (6 March 2022). "The World Cup squad stacked with Lotto NRFL names — and a comedian". Friends of Football. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- ^ "Ben Mata - Men's Soccer". Missouri State. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- ^ "New Zealand - M. Mata - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway". uk.soccerway.com. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
- ^ "Max Mata". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
External links
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