Mateta joined the south-east London club on loan from Mainz in 2021 and signed a permanent contract in January 2022.
The striker initially struggled to break into the starting eleven, but has become a key figure since Austrian manager Oliver Glasner took over, forcing his way into Didier Deschamps’ France squad for October’s World Cup qualifiers against Azerbaijan and Iceland.
Zaha was a star player for the Eagles when Mateta first joined the club, but revealed that his dream of being called up to the France national team was not fun when the Ivory Coast international was a team-mate.
“At Crystal Palace, right after the game started, when we weren’t playing, I talked about the France national team in the dressing room and my team-mates, like Wilfried Zaha, laughed.
“I was told that I was crazy for thinking about the French national team when I wasn’t playing for Crystal Palace, but I said that’s my aim and I just have to play to show what I’m capable of.
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England’s defeat reminded me of Burnley playing Man City – Bellamy
Video credit: SNTV
“My dream was always to play for France. I knew the opportunity would come.”
In Zaha’s defense, few Crystal Palace fans would have expected Mateta to represent France on the international stage during his first two years at the club, but that all changed in the second half of the 2023/24 season.
The 28-year-old has scored 16 goals and provided six assists in 35 Premier League appearances, and his performances have improved significantly since Glasner took over as manager in February 2024, leading to him being named the club’s Player of the Year.
Since then, he has established himself as a key part of Glasner’s team, scoring 14 goals in league play last season.
“That makes sense,” he said.
“Every ambitious player wants to take that step. Especially when you join the national team, the only players around you are players who play in the Champions League and win the biggest trophies.
“When you’re surrounded by the best players in the world, you naturally want to take that step.”
