Max Mata
New Zealand footballer (born 2000)
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Max Andrew Mata (born 10 July 2000) is a New Zealand professional footballer who plays as a forward for League of Ireland Premier Division club St Patrick's Athletic and the New Zealand national team.
| 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 | Forward | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | St Patrick's Athletic | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 18 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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 | Grasshoppers II | 10 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | → Nõmme Kalju (loan) | 14 | (9) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | Real Monarchs | 19 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Sligo Rovers | 50 | (18) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023–2025 | Shrewsbury Town | 22 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | → Sligo Rovers (loan) | 14 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024–2025 | → Auckland FC (loan) | 19 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2026– | St Patrick's Athletic | 3 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | New Zealand U17 | 7 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | New Zealand U20 | 6 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019– | New Zealand | 14 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 22:50, 13 March 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 30 June 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Club career
New Zealand
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
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 Grasshopper's first-team.
Loan to Nõmme Kalju
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 11 times.
Real Monarchs
Mata left Switzerland on a free transfer in December 2020 and signed for American second-tier side, Real Monarchs.[3]
Sligo Rovers
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
On 3 August 2023, Mata signed for League One club Shrewsbury Town on a three-year deal.[10] Having returned from his loan spells at Sligo Rovers and Auckland FC, he started off pre-season well in July 2025, scoring in a 3–0 friendly win over Kidderminster Harriers, before suffering a hamstring injury that would keep him out of action an initial eight to ten weeks.[11][12] On 1 September 2025, it was announced that Mata had left the club by mutual consent, having scored 1 goal in 26 appearances during his time there.[13]
Loan to Sligo Rovers
On 15 February 2024, it was announced that Mata had returned to Sligo Rovers, on loan until the summer.[14] He scored 4 goals in 14 appearances during his time back on loan with the club.[15]
Loan to Auckland
On 3 June 2024, it was announced that Mata had joined newly formed A-League side Auckland FC on loan.[16] On 18 January 2025, he scored his first A-League goal in a 3–0 win over Melbourne City.[17] On 10 June 2025, the club announced that Mata would return to Shrewsbury Town after scoring 2 goals in 19 appearances during his loan spell at the club.[18]
St Patrick's Athletic
On 1 December 2025, it was announced that Mata had signed for League of Ireland Premier Division club St Patrick's Athletic.[19][20] On 6 March 2026, Mata scored his first goal for the club in a 3–2 Dublin Derby win away to Shelbourne, scoring a 92nd minute winner having replaced Ryan Edmondson from the bench in the 74th minute.[21][22]
International career
Youth
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.[23][24] 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.[25][26]
Senior
Mata made his international debut on 15 November 2019, coming on as a substitute for New Zealand in their 0–1 loss to Lithuania.[27] After a long spell out of the national team, he earned a call up in March 2023 for two friendly fixtures against China,[28] followed by another callup in June for friendlies against Sweden and Qatar.[29]
Personal life
Mata is of Māori and Cook Island Māori descent.[30] His older brother, Benjamin, is a footballer playing for Wellington Olympic and the Cook Islands national team.[31][32]
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 13 March 2026[33]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Wellington Phoenix Reserves | 2015–16 | NZ Premiership | 6 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 6 | 3 | ||||
| 2016–17 | 10 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 10 | 5 | ||||||
| Total | 16 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 8 | ||
| Eastern Suburbs | 2016–17 | NZ Premiership | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||
| 2017–18 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1[a] | 0 | 16 | 3 | ||||
| Total | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 3 | ||
| Grasshoppers II | 2018–19 | 1. Liga | 7 | 4 | — | — | — | — | 7 | 4 | ||||
| 2020–21 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | ||||||
| Total | 10 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 5 | ||
| Nõmme Kalju (loan) | 2019 | Meistriliiga | 14 | 9 | 2 | 2 | — | 4[b] | 0 | — | 20 | 11 | ||
| Real Monarchs | 2021 | USL Championship | 19 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 19 | 2 | ||||
| Sligo Rovers | 2022 | LOI Premier Division | 27 | 7 | 1 | 0 | — | 6[c] | 2 | — | 34 | 9 | ||
| 2023 | 23 | 11 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 24 | 12 | |||||
| Total | 50 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 58 | 21 | ||
| Shrewsbury Town | 2023–24 | EFL League One | 22 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2[d] | 0 | 26 | 1 | |
| 2024–25 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 2025–26 | EFL League Two | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 0[d] | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 22 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 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 | 19 | 2 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 19 | 2 | |||
| St Patrick's Athletic | 2026 | LOI Premier Division | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0[e] | 0 | 3 | 1 | ||
| Career total | 169 | 48 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 188 | 53 | ||
- Appearance in the 2018 New Zealand Football Championship Finals Series
- 2 appearances in the UEFA Champions League; 2 appearances in the UEFA Europa League
- Appearances in the UEFA Europa Conference League
- Appearances in the EFL Trophy
- Appearances in the Leinster Senior Cup
International
- As of match played 30 June 2024[34]
| 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 | |
- Scores and results list New Zealand's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Mata goal.
| 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 | 2024 OFC Nations Cup |
Honours
Auckland FC
New Zealand U17
New Zealand U19
New Zealand
Individual
- OFC U-19 Men's Championship Golden Boot: 2018
