Ryan Mendes

Ryan Isaac Mendes da Graça ( ; born 8 January 1990) is a Cape Verdean professional footballer who plays as a winger for the Moroccan Botola Pro side RS Berkane and the Cape Verde national team.

He spent most of his club career in France with Le Havre and Lille, and in the UAE Pro League with Sharjah and Al-Nasr. He also had brief spells in England's Championship with Nottingham Forest, and the Turkish Süper Lig with Kayserispor, Fatih Karagümrük, Kocaelispor and Iğdır.

Mendes made his senior international debut for Cape Verde in 2010. He has since earned 100 caps, and is currently both the team's record appearance holder and all-time top goalscorer. He represented the nation at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2013, 2015, 2021 and 2023, and at their debut FIFA World Cup in 2026.

Club career 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. 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 in his first season.

Remaining in the United Arab Emirates, Mendes moved to Al-Nasr SC in Dubai on a two-year contract in July 2020.

On 10 August 2023, he went back to Turkey's top division and signed a two-year contract with Fatih Karagümrük.

On 11 September 2025, he joined fellow Turkish side Iğdır, signing a one-year contract with an option to extend it for an additional year.

On 21 August 2026, he joined Moroccan side RS Berkane, signing a one-year contract with an option to extend it for an additional year.

International career 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 sole most capped player and scored his 15th international goal and tied Héldon Ramos record to become Cape Verde joint top goalscorer.

In December 2023, Mendes was named in Cape Verde's squad for his fourth Africa Cup of Nations – the 2023 tournament in the Ivory Coast.

He captained the team in their opening two matches of the tournament on 14 and 19 January 2024 – wins against Ghana (2–1), and Mozambique (3–0) – scoring and being named man of the match in the latter. The goal against Mozambique was his 16th international goal and he thus became Cape Verde's sole top goalscorer. He later scored the only goal from a penalty in a 1–0 victory over Mauritania, which qualified his country to the quarter-finals.

On 18 May 2026, Mendes was named in the 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, marking his country's first-ever participation in the tournament. He made his 100th international appearance for Cape Verde in a goalless draw against Saudi Arabia in the team's third World Cup group-stage match. He then provided an assist in a 3–2 extra-time defeat to Argentina in the round of 32.

Personal life 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.

Career statistics Club

International

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

Honours Sharjah UAE Pro League: 2018–19

Kocaelispor TFF 1. Lig: 2024–25 TFF First League

Cape Verde FIFA Series: 2024