Jean-Philippe Mateta

Jean-Philippe Mateta (born 28 June 1997) is a French professional footballer who plays as a striker for club Crystal Palace. He has represented France internationally at U19 and U21 youth levels.

Mateta began his career with Châteauroux before signing for Ligue 1 side Lyon in 2016. Following a successful loan to second-division side Le Havre, he signed for Bundesliga club Mainz 05 in 2018, before joining Crystal Palace in 2021.

Early life
Mateta was born in Sevran, a suburb of Paris, to a Congolese father and a French mother. His father is a former professional footballer who played in Congo and in Liège, Belgium.

Lyon
In September 2016, Mateta signed for Ligue 1 side Lyon from Châteauroux on a five-year contract for a fee of €2 million with a further €3 million possible in bonuses. His former club also retained a 20% sell-on clause on the player. Mateta made his debut for the Ligue 1 side on 21 September 2016 against Montpellier, replacing Maxwel Cornet after 76 minutes in a 5–1 home win. He played his next match four months later in the Coupe de France, again coming on for Cornet against Montpellier, in the 76th minute of a 5–0 home win. He made his first Ligue 1 start against AS Monaco on 23 April 2017. He played 65 minutes, before being replaced by Mathieu Valbuena in a 2–1 home loss.

Le Havre (loan)
In July 2017, he joined Ligue 2 side Le Havre on a season-long loan. If his team did not barely succeed to get his promotion to first french division, Mateta scored 19 goals in 37 Ligue 2 matches across the 2017–18 season.

Mainz 05
On 29 June 2018, Mateta joined Bundesliga club 1. FSV Mainz 05 on a four-year deal. His arrival was the most expensive signing in club history. Upon signing with the club, the player was compared favorably to former Mainz strikers Aristide Bancé and Adam Szalai as well as former 1. FC Köln and 1899 Hoffenheim player Anthony Modeste.

On 5 April 2019, Mateta scored his first senior hat-trick in a 5–0 league victory over SC Freiburg.

2021–2023: Initial seasons
On 21 January 2021, Mateta signed for English club Crystal Palace on an initial eighteen-month loan deal. Crystal Palace reportedly paid a €3 million loan fee and secured an option to sign Mateta permanently for a further €15 million. He made his debut on 8 February in a 2–0 away league defeat by Leeds United. On 22 February 2021, Mateta scored his first goal for Palace, a backheel flick, in a 2–1 away league win over rivals Brighton & Hove Albion. The deal was made permanent on 31 January 2022.

During the 2022–23 season, Mateta was restricted to just six starts in the league, with Odsonne Édouard preferred as Crystal Palace's starting striker. On 1 April 2023, Mateta came off the bench scored a last-minute winner against Leicester City, ensuring Palace ended their thirteen-match Premier League winless run on Roy Hodgson's return to the club, and ended a personal run of 28 appearances without a goal.

2023–24 season: Crystal Palace Player of the Year
Mateta opened his account for the 2023–24 season on 29 August, scoring his first hat-trick for Crystal Palace against Plymouth Argyle in the second round of the 2023–24 EFL Cup, resulting in a 4–2 victory. After scoring in back-to-back games against Manchester City and Liverpool in December 2023, Mateta was restored to the starting line-up following the appointment of manager Oliver Glasner in February 2024. After tucking his shirt in he scored four times in Glasner's first six matches in charge, taking his tally for the season into double digits, making it his highest-scoring season at Crystal Palace.

In April 2024, he scored back-to-back braces in wins against West Ham United and Newcastle United; he was later nominated for Premier League Player of the Month for the first time in his career. On 6 May, he scored in a 4–0 win over Manchester United, becoming the first Premier League player to score in each of a manager's first six home games for a club since Alan Shearer for Kevin Keegan in 1997, as well as Crystal Palace's first ever player to score in six consecutive top-flight home games, breaking Mark Bright's record of five. The next day, Mateta was named the club's Player of the Year, becoming the first French recipient of the award. On 19 May, Mateta scored his first Premier League hat-trick for the club, and the club's second ever Premier League hat-trick and first in nine years, in a 5–0 victory over Aston Villa, helping secure a top half of the table finish. Additionally, he finished the season as his club's top scorer with 16 goals, achieving a new personal best in the Premier League.

International career
On 3 June 2024, Mateta was named in manager Thierry Henry's provisional France squad ahead of the Olympic Games in Paris.

Honours
Individual


 * Crystal Palace Player of the Season: 2023–24