Jean-Philippe Mateta
CRYFrance
Right
Jun 28, 1997
28
6'4"
194 lb
CF
--
Poacher
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Brings physical quality up front
Mateta has been named in France's World Cup squad and provides manager Didier Deschamps with a powerful and direct alternative to the more technical attacking options available in the French squad.
Analysis: Mateta will first turn his attention to Wednesday's Conference League final against Rayo Vallecano before linking up with France for the World Cup, closing out a strong campaign with Crystal Palace where he delivered a string of eye-catching performances, using his physical presence, aerial dominance, and sharp finishing to cement himself as a dependable, dangerous number nine at the highest level of English football. The powerful center forward gives manager Didier Deschamps a different attacking look compared to Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele, bringing a direct, physical edge that can shift the momentum of games whether coming off the bench or starting depending on the matchup. He enters the World Cup as a squad piece with real knockout-stage value, where his ability to hold up play, win duels in the air, and finish with force could be a major weapon for France down the stretch. Before the Conference League final, Mateta has chipped in with 15 goals and three assists across 49 appearances in all competitions.
Scores late header in season finale
Mateta scored one goal to go with one shot (one on goal) in Sunday's 2-1 defeat versus Arsenal.
Analysis: Mateta came off the bench and powered home Palace's late consolation in the 89th minute, climbing highest to meet Yeremy Pino's delivery and burying a strong header past Kepa Arrizabalaga to spoil Arsenal's clean sheet. He wraps up the Premier League season as Crystal Palace's leading scorer with 12 goals in 32 appearances (25 starts), a strong return from a striker now shifting full focus to the Conference League final against Rayo Vallecano on May 27 in Basel before linking up with France for the 2026 World Cup.
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