Juan Mata plays table football with Bill Gates, Malala and Norwegian PM Erna Solberg

February 2022 · 2 minute read

JUAN MATA played table football with Bill Gates, Malala and Norway PM Erna Solberg in what he hopes is a game-changer ahead of meeting Donald Trump.

Manchester United midfielder Mata pitched in with global leaders of  business and politics as he promoted his ambitious charity Common Goal at the World Economic forum in Switzerland.

The Spaniard showed he can be as creative off the field as on it as he swapped Old Trafford for a table in Davos for an unusual get-together.

He took on billionaire Microsoft founder Gates, Pakistani women's rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala, and Solberg, who has been the Norwegian head since 2013.

But ex-Chelsea playmaker Mata, 29, looked far less handy with his fingers than he does with his feet as he tentatively partnered Gates against Malala and Solberg.

No doubt, though, he was just happy to be meeting more international figures as he boosts a project where players donate one per-cent of their pay to help world-wide schemes.

US president Trump could be next for Mata, who has admitted in the past that he thinks the wages of top players can be ridiculous.

His six-month-old Common Goal charity so far has 36 players from 18 countries.

It raised £439,000 from August 2017 to December, with a target of £2.2million by the end of this year.

Mata is also set to host a Facebook Live event and meet BAFTA-winning screenwriter and Comic Relief founder Richard Curtis for another special event in Davos.

Trump too is due to speak, with Sir Elton John and actress Cate Blanchett also attending.

Mata said earlier this week: “To represent Common Goal in such a forum with the world's leaders is an honour and a great opportunity to explain the evolution of the movement.

“It's great that people are starting to understand football as a force for social change and that this has a voice at the World Economic Forum.

“I'm very excited to connect with many people and organisations that share our commitment to improving the state of the world.”

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