Manchester United attacking midfielder Juan Mata vowed on Friday to donate one percent of his salary to charity and called on other professional footballers to follow suit. The Spain international, 29, has signed up to a scheme called Common Goal created by streetfootballworld, a group of 120 charities from 80 countries.
"What we're trying to do is define a shared social agenda for football. Common Goal goes beyond individual brands and egos to deliver a greater impact," Mata said. "By making the pledge, we can form a lasting connection between football as a business and football as a tool for social change."
Common Goal is aiming to assemble a 'starting XI' of players prepared to commit one percent of their earnings, with the ultimate aim of securing one percent of revenue from the entire football industry. "One of the first lessons I learned in football is that it takes a team to win a game," Mata added in an article on the Players' Tribune website. "I urge my fellow players to get involved."