Juan Mata’s Common Goal project gets two new players

Juan Mata said that Jose Mourinho and other Manchester United players are donating 1% of their salary to charity. (Source: Reuters)

Juan Mata’s Common Goal movement has got two beneficiaries in the form of American players Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe. According to AP, Morgan and Rapinoe, who were part of the US side that won the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, have stated that they would be contributing 1 percent of their salaries to the initiative set up by the Manchester United midfielder.

Both players made social media posts supporting the cause. “As the global profile of women’s football continues to grow, players like myself and Megan will have an increasing number of opportunities to use our status for good,” Morgan is quoted as saying by AP. Mata also posted a video on Twitter confirming that Common Goal is “signing two new players.” “I am very happy to announce that today we are signing two new players to the Common Goal project. Two World Cup winners and two brave women who will bring the Common Goal to the US. A very happy day for all of us.”

Mata, in the website of the initiative, said that he had pledged 1% of his salary towards “grassroots football charities that strengthen their communities through sport.” The Spaniard had travelled to Mumbai as part of the initiative that he says is run by NGO Street Football World. Morgan and Rapinoe are the first female players to have become part of the initiative. Apart from them, Germany and Bayern Munich defender Mats Hummels has also joined the cause and pledge to donate 1 percent of his salary.