Max Mata
Max Andrew Mata (born 10 July 2000 in Auckland) is a New Zealand footballer who plays as a forward for St Patrick’s Athletic in the League of Ireland and for the New Zealand national team. He was the youngest goalscorer in New Zealand’s top flight at age 15. Mata trained with Grasshoppers in Switzerland and later joined them. He spent time on loan at Nõmme Kalju in Estonia, where he scored 11 goals in 20 appearances and made his pro debut in a 5–0 loss to Celtic in July 2019.
He moved to Real Monarchs in the United States in 2021. In 2022 he joined Sligo Rovers in Ireland, scoring 18 league goals in 50 appearances and earning the club’s Young Player of the Year award. He extended his contract and hit a hat‑trick against UCD in 2023. In August 2023 he signed for Shrewsbury Town in England on a three‑year deal. He spent time on loan back at Sligo Rovers and at Auckland FC in 2024–25, and left Shrewsbury by mutual consent in September 2025.
In December 2025 Mata joined St Patrick’s Athletic. Internationally, Mata has represented New Zealand at U17, U20 and senior levels, making his senior debut in November 2019 against Lithuania. He has Māori and Cook Island Māori heritage; his older brother Benjamin Mata is also a footballer.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 21:55 (CET).