MAX MATA’S THIRD spell in the League of Ireland comes with more of a novelty value this time around.

The New Zealand international chose St Patrick’s Athletic as his new club as it gives him the best chance of his making his country’s squad for this summer’s World Cup.

The 25-year-old striker joined in November ahead of the 2026 campaign after previously impressing during two stints with Sligo Rovers.

Mata was somewhat of an unknown when he first landed with the Bit O’Red in 2022, but by the time he departed for Shrewsbury Town in the summer of 2023 he had scored 11 goals and everyone was aware of his ability.

Now he is part of Stephen Kenny’s plans to revitalise St Pat’s and his main reason for turning down options elsewhere is simple: he wants to be on the plane to North America.

“Yeah, 100%. That’s exactly what it was. I was looking for an opportunity to go to a club where I thought I could excel and do well and this was the club that ticked most of the boxes,” he said.

“It’s pretty special, to be honest. The last World Cup that New Zealand qualified for, I was 10. It’s pretty cool to be in and around it now. I’m pretty sure the World Cup will come up pretty quickly.”

International boss Darren Blazely already gave Mata his blessing for the move to Inchicore, encouraging him to do so as a run of goal-scoring form will put him back in the frame after missing out on squads last year due to a hamstring injury.

A loan spell with Auckland Town allowed him return to fitness but playing time was sporadic and now

“The most important thing is to play well for the club. If I do that, then I give myself every chance.

“I think it’s every footballer’s dream when they’re a kid to play at a World Cup. It’s just around the corner and hopefully it comes true.”

Mata began discussing a move to Pat’s in October and further conversations with Kenny convinced him a move to Richmond Park was the right choice.

“Yeah, definitely. He wanted to speak to me a couple of times so we obviously had conversations in and around how he saw me fitting into the squad and what he expected and what he wanted to achieve.

“Our conversations kind of aligned and then we would have spoken maybe two or three times and then after that we kind of started pushing things across the line.

“The club’s idea of wanting to play attacking football was major for me, and obviously their ambition to do well.”

Pat’s had a disastrous end to the 2025 campaign, losing to Cork City in the semi-final of the FAI Cup and then dropping out of contention for a European place during the final weeks of the season.

Earlier this week, Jake Mulraney departed the club for champions Shamrock Rovers while midfielder Darragh Nugent moved the other way in a swap deal.

Mata will be part of the reinforcements to replace Mason Melia after the 18-year-old joined Tottenham Hotspur.

Kenny will be hoping another of his frontmen, Aidan Keena, can remain fit for this term and he is one of two current Pat’s players Mata has a pre-existing relationship with from their time together at Sligo.

Winger Simon Power is another and if they can all click than Mata might just see his dreams come through with a place at the World Cup.

Those childhood memories of the 2010 tournament in South Africa came flooding back again this week as he recalled how he, his three brothers, and sister would be woken up by their father to watch games at three o’clock every morning.

“It was probably the middle of winter at the time for us because winter is the middle of the year so we were all snuggled up in blankets and watching the New Zealand games and it was pretty interesting.

“The only team to not lose a game in that World Cup, which is a bit ironic, but it was very special for us to experience that. I was probably a little bit too young to really understand the volume of what was happening but looking back on it, I have really fond memories.”

There could be even more special ones to be made if this move to St Pat’s goes to plan.