Matthew McConaughey continues to gain points as a man of the people … getting in front of and firing up a massive crowd of soccer fans in Austin.

The actor was a special guest at Saturday’s contest between FC Austin and the San Jose Earthquakes. McConaughey grabbed a bongo drum and led the crowd of nearly 20,000 in several chants.

Fittingly, dressed in a green suit, one of the chants was “Verde! Listos!”

While it might seem like a PR stunt to grab support for a Texas gubernatorial run, McConaughey actually has legit ties to the org … he’s a minority owner for the franchise.

He’s reportedly very involved with the team, dropping in for practices and mixing with fans.

Saturday’s match was the first at Q2 Stadium after 8 on the road this season for Austin.

It ended in a 0-0 draw … so while MM may not have brought the team a W, it sure beats an L.