The global sports and entertainment design practice Populous has announced a partnership with the World Cup winner, the Australian professional association football club Melbourne Victory FC midfielder and the Premier League team Manchester United F.C. (UK) former legend Juan Mata.
‘POPULOUS’ stated that Juan Mata will become a Special Advisor on Football and Training providing strategic insight and athlete-led perspective to the design of the elite football training centers and high-performance environments around the world.
Athlete-centered Design
The above partnership also reflects the growing importance of athlete-centered design in football. As clubs continue to invest in high-performance infrastructure the training facilities are evolving beyond traditional practice grounds into integrated ecosystems that support performance, recovery, nutrition, wellness, education, data, community, and culture.
Populous is a global architectural and design practice with regional headquarters in Kansas City (US), London (UK) and Brisbane (Australia) specializing in the sports facilities, the arenas and the convention centers as well as in the planning and design of the major special events.
‘POPULOUS’ further stated that one of the most respected figures in world football Juan Mata brings 20 years of experience at the highest levels of the game winning his first trophy with Spain at the Euro U-19 tournament in 2006.
Unique Connection
His relationship with the design studio carries a unique connection. He won the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ with Spain at the 94,736-seat FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, and lifted multiple major club trophies at the 90,000-capacity Wembley Stadium in London (UK), both iconic venues designed by the firm.
Mata Feat
In total, Mata has played almost 200 games at the Populous-designed stadiums during a career that saw him win 14 major trophies with some of the world’s leading clubs including the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Champions League (contested by the top-division European clubs) with the Premier League team Chelsea F.C. and the UEFA Europa League with the Manchester United F.C. After leaving the Premier League in 2022 he has played for the Turkish professional football club Galatasaray S.K. (Turkey), the Japanese professional football club Vissel Kobe (Japan) and the Australian professional soccer club Western Sydney Wanderers FC (Australia). Mata then spent the 2026 season at Melbourne Victory FC where he won the A-League’s (the highest level of the Australian soccer league system) and the club’s Player of the Year Awards.
Advisory Role
In his advisory role Juan 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 the future football training centers. His involvement will include design reviews, strategic discussions with the project teams, participation in client workshops, and engagement with the Populous staff across its international studios.
The partnership builds on Populous’ commitment to designing the training environments through the lens of the athlete. The practice has delivered more than 250 training facilities globally and has developed a specialist methodology centered on performance, well-being, recovery, learning, and long-term athlete development.
Populous-Mata Camaraderie
Observed Juan Mata, “Throughout my career I’ve been fortunate to experience some of the best training environments in football. What I’ve learned is that the 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 the athletes and the staff. Populous understands that. Their approach puts the performance and the people at the center of design and I’m excited to contribute my experiences to help shape the next generation of the football training centers.”
Populous Philosophy
Populous’ training facility philosophy is founded on a performance-first approach that recognizes the training facility as one of the most important assets within any football organization. The practice combines expertise in architecture, interior design, brand activation, strategy, technology, and performance planning to create environments that support the athletes holistically – physically, mentally and socially.
Mata Perspective
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, well-being and development. His perspective will help our teams continue to challenge the conventional thinking and ensure our projects reflect the realities of modern football and the needs of the players and the technical staff. We are delighted to welcome Mata as a Special Advisor and look forward to working together on projects around the world.”
Populous-Mata Collaboration
For the design firm the collaboration with Mata further strengthens a growing network of the elite athletes, coaches and performance experts who contribute directly to the firm’s research, innovation and project development activities.
As football continues to evolve the design firm and Mata share a common ambition: Creating environments that help the athletes and the organizations achieve their highest potential.
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