Juan Mata

It is not the same to play football and be a footballer. Here, I try to explain how my life has been shaped by the beautiful game, the experiences I have had, and the decisions I had to make along the way, consciously or subconsciously, on and off the pitch.


This book is about how a kid that absolutely loved playing football became a professional football player. All I wanted to do was to play football. Every day, everywhere. All the time. To control the ball, to dribble, to pass, to shoot and score. There were no worries, no noise, only the ball, my friends and I. Time flew. In fact, it felt like time would stop while we were playing. I would never, ever feel tired.


Fast forward some years and here I am, writing these lines. Who would have imagined it? Not me, definitely. I never thought that you would be reading this, but you are.


Amongst many things, football has taught me that dreams do come true. Mine was to become a professional player, and in a journey that felt both long and super quick, it happened.


In my book, Suddenly A Footballer, I want to share that journey with you . . .