The Bayern Munich star has answered Mata's call for footballers around the world to get involved in his Common Goal initiative
What's not to like about Mats Hummels? He boasts devilish good looks, elegant defensive skills - and now he's now pledged to give 1% of his earnings to charity.
Juan Mata had pleaded with fellow players to sign up to the Common Goal initiative, whose ambition is to filter the money to over 120 grassroot football charities in 80 countries around the world.
The movement, set up by streetfootballworld, have estimated that football's total revenues equal $30 billion a year. Their goal is to take one per cent of that and use it for the greater good.
“As soon as I heard of Common Goal, I knew this was a chance for football to improve our world and I wanted to be part of it,” Hummels said. “I feel we could be doing more to connect the increasing revenues in football to some kind of deeper purpose."
Mata expressed his delight at the news, calling the German World Cup winner a perfect team-mate. “I don’t actually know Mats personally, so I was pleasantly surprised when he contacted me to talk Common Goal,” Mata said. “He really gets what we’re trying to achieve."
The Manchester United player has pledged to create a ‘starting XI’ of like-minded players who make the one per cent pledge to lead the movement forward. Who's next?
Joe was the Deputy Editor at FourFourTwo until 2022, having risen through the FFT academy and been on the brand since 2013 in various capacities.
By weekend and frustrating midweek night he is a Leicester City fan, and in 2020 co-wrote the autobiography of former Foxes winger Matt Piper – subsequently listed for both the Telegraph and William Hill Sports Book of the Year awards.
