The Frenchman powered Palace to their first-ever FA Cup, added a Community Shield, and led them into European football for the first time in the club’s history.

Yet behind the goals and celebrations lies a story of grind, grit, and pure resilience - a journey from the tough streets of Sevran on the outskirts of Paris to the world’s biggest stage.

Every step of that climb, every setback and fight, has forged the player we see today: fierce on the pitch, fearless in spirit, and utterly unbreakable.

Before the BOOM: The grit behind Mateta's rise

Jean-Philippe Mateta was born in Sevran, a working-class commune in the northern suburbs of Paris. It’s an area known for high unemployment, immigrant communities, and deep passion for football. His father emigrated from the Democratic Republic of Congo in search of a better life; his mother worked tirelessly to hold the family together.

Mateta’s football beginnings in Sevran were anything but polished - they were raw and relentless. Games unfolded on cracked asphalt pitches, hemmed in by concrete tower blocks and the constant buzz of the streets.

“If you didn’t fight, you didn’t play,” Mateta once said to L’Equipe. There, he learned resilience - how to take the hits and keep moving.

With no elite academy to guide him, he built his career from scratch, moving through small clubs like Olympique de Sevran, Drancy and Chateauroux. Lyon finally gave him a chance in 2016, but opportunities were scarce.

It wasn’t until a loan at Le Havre - and 19 goals in Ligue 2 - that Mateta truly announced himself as a striker ready for more.

The one France overlooked

Even after his breakout season in Ligue 2, Mateta was still seen as not quite good enough for France’s top flight. The big Ligue 1 clubs hesitated. However, where France hesitated, Germany acted. An unexpected suitor arrived: Mainz 05 from the Bundesliga.

The move surprised many - a leap from France’s second tier straight into one of Europe’s toughest leagues. Yet it was exactly what Mateta needed.

In Mainz, he found what he had been missing: trust, minutes, and belief. The Bundesliga refined him - taught him discipline, movement, and how to time his runs against elite defenders. His raw power started to fuse with structure, instinct with intelligence.

"I learned how to use my body better, how to stay calm when everything around me is moving fast," he later said to Bundesliga.com.

Those lessons from Germany would become crucial when the next call came, from South London.

From the fringe to Palace's forefront

Crystal Palace signed Mateta in January 2021. The Premier League was another level - even faster, harder, and merciless than the Bundesliga. His first year was inconsistent, his confidence tested. But where others might have wilted, Mateta’s background kicked in. He worked quietly, sharpened his finishing, and waited.

Under manager Oliver Glasner, the wait paid off. The 2023/24 season became his turning point - 16 league goals, including a hat-trick against Aston Villa (Palace’s first in nine years).

A year later, he was lifting the FA Cup after a 1-0 win over Manchester City, followed by the Community Shield against Liverpool. For the first time in their 120-year history, Crystal Palace were heading to Europe - and at the centre of it all was Mateta.

His consistently good performances have now brought him to the next milestone: Didier Deschamps called up the 28-year-old for France's qualifying matches in October.

Mateta showed he belongs: in his second appearance against Iceland (2-2), he put Les Bleus ahead - and celebrated with his infamous 'BOOM' celebration, of course.

Built for the battle… and the BOOM!

At 1.92 metres, Mateta has the frame of a classic target man - powerful, relentless, impossible to bully. But what truly sets him apart is his mentality. Coaches describe him as "unshakable," teammates call him "obsessed."

Every run, every finish, every roar carries the same message: nothing was given - everything was earned.

And then comes the BOOM! - the sprint to the corner flag, the fierce kick, the eruption of noise. For Mateta, it’s more than a celebration - it’s a connection.

"I like to play with the fans in mind," he said in an interview with Palace.

"They pay to come; they want joy. So I give them that - BOOM!"

The moment he scores, Selhurst Park holds its breath. One kick, one word – and 25,000 voices erupt in unison. BOOM!

More about Jean-Philippe Mateta, Crystal Palace and the Premier League on Flashscore.

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