Ryan Mendes

Le Havre

Born in Mindelo, São Vicente, Mendes began his career with hometown club Batuque FC. In 2008 he was sold to Le Havre AC, with whom he played his first game in Ligue 1 on 13 May 2009 against AS Saint-Étienne, as a late substitute for Maxime Baca in a 4–2 home loss. He was monitored by Leicester City scout Steve Walsh, who instead signed teammate Riyad Mahrez to the club. In the 2011–12 Ligue 2, Mendes was joint third top scorer with 13 goals.

Lille

On 1 September 2012, Mendes returned to Ligue 1 on a four-year deal at Lille. He joined for a €3 million fee – the club was in a good financial place after the sale of Eden Hazard to Chelsea – and his monthly salary rose from €7,000 to €120,000. He missed the second half of his first season after having surgery on a right ankle tendon and remained on the sidelines until December 2013. He told the league's website that he was not going to retire despite the injuries. Mendes's opportunities at Lille were reduced after the dismissal of manager Rudi Garcia in 2013. On 4 September 2015, Mendes joined English side Nottingham Forest on a season-long loan. He scored his first goal for the club twenty days later, opening a 1–1 draw with Huddersfield Town.

Later career

On 31 January 2017, Mendes signed for Kayserispor – ranked 17th in Turkey's Süper Lig – until the summer of 2020. In July 2018, he terminated his deal and moved to Sharjah FC of the UAE Pro League on a three-year deal. He won the league…

Mendes was a member of the Cape Verde under-21 national team and played formerly with the under-16s an international tournament in Gonfreville-L'Orcher. He made his debut for the senior team on 11 August 2010, as a 58th-minute substitute for Babanco in a 1–0 friendly loss away to Senegal. His first international goal was scored on 8 October 2011, in a 2–1 loss at Zimbabwe in 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualification. In 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualification, Mendes scored three goals in two wins over Madagascar. At the finals in South Africa, Cape Verde's first major tournament, he played all four games of a run to the quarter-finals. Mendes scored the decider on 10 September 2014 as Cape Verde won 2–1 against Zambia in Praia, in 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification. He was called up for the finals in Equatorial Guinea, playing in all three draws of a group-stage elimination. In November 2020, he reached 50 international caps, for which he was rewarded with a shirt and plaque the following March. A year later, he was called up for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon and appeared in two of Cape Verde's matches at the tournament. On 17 November 2023, he played his 62nd international game in a 0–0 draw with Angola in 2026 World Cup qualification game, tying Babanco’s record to become Cape Verde joint most capped player. Four days later, in a 2–0 victory over Eswatini in a 2026 World Cup qualification game, he played his 63rd international game, becoming Cape Verde…

Club

As of match played 2 May 2026

International

As of match played 29 September 2026

Scores and results list Cape Verde's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Mendes goal.

Mendes is currently under investigation by police in New Zealand related to an alleged sexual assault in Auckland in March 2026 where his national team was playing during the FIFA Series. The complaint was filed in April, prompting authorities to open a formal inquiry into the matter.