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Ryan Mendes is the longtime captain, all-time leading scorer, and most-capped player in Cape Verde national team history. As the Blue Sharks prepare for their first-ever FIFA World Cup appearance, Mendes remains the face of one of international soccer’s most remarkable success stories. Here’s what you need to know.
Few players have meant more to their national team than Mendes.
The winger made his senior debut for Cape Verde in 2010 and has spent more than 15 years helping elevate the program on the international stage. Along the way, he became the country’s all-time leader in appearances and goals.
Mendes heads into the World Cup with 94 international caps and 22 goals, both national records.
His leadership helped transform Cape Verde from an underdog nation into one of Africa’s most respected teams.
“As time goes on, you begin to realise what you’ve achieved,” Mendes told FIFA.com. “Cabo Verde are going to the World Cup and it’s incredible. We’re so happy now that we’ve stamped our ticket there.”
Long before he became the face of Cape Verde soccer, Mendes was viewed as one of the brightest young prospects coming out of France.
As a standout in Le Havre’s academy, he generated significant interest from clubs across Europe. In fact, legendary scout Steve Walsh made a trip to watch Mendes during his time at Le Havre. That same scouting journey eventually led Walsh to discover future Premier League star Riyad Mahrez, but at the time, Mendes was considered the club’s biggest young talent.
Mendes later joined Lille as a replacement for Eden Hazard after the Belgian star signed with Chelsea.
A serious ankle injury slowed his momentum, but he still built a professional career spanning France, England, Turkey, the Middle East, and Asia. He also spent the 2015-16 season on loan with Nottingham Forest.
Today, he remains one of Cape Verde’s most recognizable athletes.
Cape Verde’s rise has been one of the biggest stories in international soccer.
The island nation of just over 500,000 people became a FIFA member in 1985 and had never qualified for a World Cup until now.
Mendes has been present for nearly every major step along that journey.
The captain helped lead Cape Verde to multiple Africa Cup of Nations appearances and memorable tournament runs before finally helping secure a place at the 2026 World Cup.
“Us Cabo Verdeans are like that. We’ve always lived well together, actually, across all the generations I’ve known,” Mendes said. “The difference now is that there is a little more quality, and you can see that on the pitch. But on a human level, it’s always been the same.”
While Mendes remains the team’s veteran leader, he has also embraced a mentorship role.
One of the players he has taken under his wing is rising striker Dailon Livramento, who scored four goals during World Cup qualifying.
“Dailon, I remember that he was all shy when he arrived and he needed a little bit of time to adapt,” Mendes recalled.
“I said to him, ‘Don’t worry, you have the ability. It’s going to happen so just be patient and stay calm.'”
He added: “Now he’s scoring goals, and usually important goals, so it’s good for both us and him.”
At 36 years old, Mendes understands the significance of the moment.
Cape Verde enters a challenging World Cup group featuring Spain, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia, but the captain is focused on embracing the opportunity.
“The federation will do everything possible to ensure we are as prepared as possible,” Mendes said.
When asked which opponent he would most like to face, Mendes admitted he would welcome a matchup against one of soccer’s traditional powers.
“Brazil would be cool,” he said with a smile. “But what we really want is just to draw a big nation, whether it’s France, Argentina, Brazil, Portugal or Germany.”
Perry Miller Carpenter Perry Carpenter is a writer and editor with 20 years of experience covering entertainment, sports, and lifestyle. She is also a standout contributor at Heavy.com’s sister site Entertainment Now. More about Perry Miller Carpenter
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