Nuno Mendes (footballer, born 2002)

Nuno Alexandre Tavares Mendes (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈnunu ˈmẽdɨʃ]; born 19 June 2002) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the Portugal national team.

This article is about the left-back. For the midfielder, see Nuno Mendes (footballer, born 1978).
In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Tavares and the second or paternal family name is Mendes.

Nuno Mendes
Mendes with Sporting CP in 2021
Personal information
Full name Nuno Alexandre Tavares Mendes[1]
Date of birth (2002-06-19) 19 June 2002[1]
Place of birth Sintra, Portugal
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[2]
Position(s) Left-back
Team information
Current team
 Paris Saint-Germain
Number 25
Youth career
2011–2012 Despertar
2012–2020 Sporting CP
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2020–2022 Sporting CP 40 (1)
2021–2022 → Paris Saint-Germain (loan) 27 (0)
2022– Paris Saint-Germain 23 (1)
International career‡
2018 Portugal U16 3 (0)
2018 Portugal U17 3 (0)
2019 Portugal U18 3 (0)
2019 Portugal U19 5 (0)
2020 Portugal U21 4 (0)
2021– Portugal 19 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19:29, 1 May 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 20:40, 26 March 2023 (UTC)

Coming through Sporting CP's youth academy, he made his first-team debut in 2020, and in the following year, he won a double of the Primeira Liga and Taça da Liga, while being named in the Primeira Liga Team of the Year. In August 2021, he moved to Paris Saint-Germain on loan, joining the club permanently for €38 million in June 2022.

Mendes is a former Portugal youth international, representing his country at various levels. He made his full debut in 2021, and was chosen in the squads for Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup.

Club career

Early career

Born in Sintra, Lisbon District of Angolan descent,[3] Mendes started playing football aged 9,[4] and his idols growing up were Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, David Alaba and Marcelo, the two last players being the ones he tried to emulate.[4] He would be spotted by his school teacher Bruno Botelho, who invited him to play for local club Despertar on the outskirts of Lisbon.[4] He quickly stood out, subsequently catching the eye of Benfica, Porto and Sporting CP and joining the latter's youth system at the age of 10.[4][5][6]

During his scouting process, as he returned home from school, Mendes realised he was being followed by a man. For fear of being robbed, he ran home, located in a very poor neighbourhood; the "stalker" was actually a Sporting scout, who later convinced him to sign.[7] He spent the next four years making a two-hour round trip in order to train every night with his teacher, before moving to Sporting's academy at the age of 14.[4]

Mendes initially played as an attacking midfielder before being converted to a left-back, a position he struggled with in the beginning.[4]

Sporting CP

Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in February, which brought a premature end to the youth football season, Mendes was one of a small group of youth players to be called up to the first team by manager Rúben Amorim, despite having only played once since November due to an injury.[4] He made his professional debut in a 1–0 Primeira Liga home win against Paços de Ferreira on 12 June 2020, as a 72nd-minute substitute for Marcos Acuña.[8][9][4]

After the latter left for Sevilla in the 2020 off-season, Mendes became first choice at only 18, becoming the youngest player to make the club's starting XI since Cristiano Ronaldo in September 2002;[10][4] he went onto start six of his side's seven remaining league matches.[4] He scored his first competitive goal for them on 4 October of the same year, in the 2–0 away victory over Portimonense.[11]

Mendes agreed to a contract extension on 19 December 2020, increasing his buyout clause from €45 million to €70 million.[12] He played 29 games for the eventual champions, while also being named in the Team of the Year.[13][14]

On 31 July 2021, Mendes provided an assist for Jovane Cabral in the 2–1 defeat of Braga and conquest of the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira.[15]

Paris Saint-Germain

On 31 August 2021, Mendes joined Paris Saint-Germain on a season-long loan with an option to buy.[16] He made his Ligue 1 debut for the club on 11 September, coming on as a 85th-minute substitute in a 4–0 defeat of Clermont.[17] He appeared in his first game in the UEFA Champions League four days later, replacing Abdou Diallo 75 minutes into a 1–1 draw away to Club Brugge in the group stage;[18] he had an instant impact on the pitch, notably making a "brilliant" run to set up a shooting opportunity for Lionel Messi at the 77th minute.[19] He made his first start later that month, in a 2–1 win over Lyon.[20] He helped PSG to win their record-tying 10th national championship by making 27 appearances (18 starts),[21][22] and later was nominated to the Young Player of the Year award and named to the Team of the Year alongside two of his teammates.[23][24]

On 31 May 2022, Mendes' buyout clause of €38 million was triggered and he signed a permanent four-year contract.[25][26] He scored his first official goal on 3 September, closing a 3–0 away victory against Nantes.[27] His first in the Champions League came on 2 November, the winner in a 2–1 victory away to Juventus in the last group fixture.[28] During the season, he was a key contributor to his team's record 11th title,[29] winning the Young Player of the Year and being included in the Team of the Year in the process.[30][31]

International career

Mendes earned his first cap for Portugal at under-21 level shortly after having made his club debut, in a 4–0 win in Cyprus for the 2021 UEFA European Championship qualifiers on 4 September 2020.[32][33] Previously, he represented the nation's under-16, under-17, under-18 and under-19s.[5]

Six months later, Mendes was called up to the senior team by manager Fernando Santos for 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Azerbaijan, Luxembourg and Serbia,[34][35] and subsequently removed from the under-21 squad due to appear in the finals.[36] He first appeared with the former on 24 March 2021, playing the entire 1–0 victory against Azerbaijan.[37]

Mendes was selected for UEFA Euro 2020,[38] playing no games in a round-of-16 exit.[39][40] Santos later revealed that he had planned to use him alongside Raphaël Guerreiro during the tournament, but could not do so due to injury problems.[41]

In November 2022, Mendes was named in the final squad for the World Cup in Qatar.[42] After a first-half thigh injury in the second group-stage match against Uruguay, he missed the rest of the competition.[43]

Style of play

Known mainly for his offensive capabilities, speed, and technical qualities, Mendes plays mainly as a left-sided attacking full-back or wing-back, which allows him to create danger either from a standing start or whilst on the counter-attack. Apart from his dribbling, he boasts an excellent crossing ability whether tightly marked or open in space, and his physical prowess allows him to beat out opponents to the ball either with his speed or strength. He is also capable of anticipating attacks and cutting in front of a pass and winning the ball back.[44]

Despite his ability going forward, however, the defensive side of Mendes's game has been brought into question by pundits on occasion, who have cited the inconsistency on his decision-making in front of goal, positioning and awareness as areas of weakness in need of improvement.[44]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 30 April 2023[45]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup League cup Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Sporting CP 2019–20 Primeira Liga 900000000090
2020–21 Primeira Liga 29120202[lower-alpha 1]0—351
2021–22 Primeira Liga 200000001[lower-alpha 2]030
Total 40120202010471
Paris Saint-Germain (loan) 2021–22 Ligue 1 27020—8[lower-alpha 3]0—370
Paris Saint-Germain 2022–23 Ligue 1 23120—6[lower-alpha 3]11[lower-alpha 4]0322
2023–24 Ligue 1 0 0 0 0 — 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 50140—14110692
Career total 9026020161201163
  1. Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  2. Appearance in Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira
  3. Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  4. Appearance in Trophée des Champions

International
As of match played 26 March 2023[46]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Portugal 2021110
202270
202310
Total190

Honours

Sporting CP

Paris Saint-Germain

Individual

References
  1. "Nuno Mendes" (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  2. "Nuno Mendes". Paris Saint-Germain F.C. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  3. Granada, Ricardo (31 July 2020). "Nuno Mendes: "O meu pai estaria orgulhoso de mim"" [Nuno Mendes: "My father would be proud of me"]. Record (in Portuguese). Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  4. Maston, Tom (20 October 2020). "Nuno Mendes: The wonderkid left-back with Ronaldinho's skills on Man Utd's radar". Goal. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  5. Ribeiro, Alexandre (19 May 2020). "Nuno Mendes, o futuro dono da lateral esquerda dos leões" [Nuno Mendes, the future owner of the Lions' left-back berth] (in Portuguese). O Ambidestro. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  6. Novo, David (19 June 2020). "Acordar para o sonho: a história do início de Nuno Mendes no futebol" [Waking up to the dream: the story of Nuno Mendes' football beginnings]. Record (in Portuguese). Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  7. Andrade, Bruno (8 January 2021). "Quando o Sporting bateu à porta de Nuno Mendes: não era assalto, era oportunidade de vida" [When Sporting knocked on Nuno Mendes's door: it wasn't a robbery, it was a chance for life] (in Portuguese). Goal. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  8. "Sporting bate Paços de Ferreira com grande golo de Jovane" [Sporting beat Paços de Ferreira with great Jovane goal]. Record (in Portuguese). 12 June 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  9. "Nuno Mendes estreou-se aos 17 anos pela equipa principal do Sporting" [Nuno Mendes made debut for Sporting's first team aged 17]. Record (in Portuguese). 12 June 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
  10. Tornesi, Duarte; Gomes, Rui Miguel (7 September 2020). "Dois "tubarões" perguntaram por Nuno Mendes: eis a resposta do Sporting" [Two "sharks" asked about Nuno Mendes: here's what Sporting replied]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  11. Roseiro, Bruno (4 October 2020). "Nuno Mendes não desiste. Por ele e pelo clube (a crónica do Portimonense-Sporting)" [Nuno Mendes does not quit. For him and for club (Portimonense-Sporting match report)]. Observador (in Portuguese). Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  12. "Inter linked Nuno Mendes extends contract with Sporting Lisbon, Portuguese media report". One Football. 19 December 2020. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
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  23. "Kylian Mbappé named Ligue 1 player of the year". Get French Football News. 15 May 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
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  25. "El PSG ficha de forma permanente a Nuno Mendes por 40 millones de euros" [PSG sign Nuno Mendes permanently for 40 million euros]. Marca (in Spanish). 31 May 2022. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
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  40. "Belgium 1–0 Portugal: Holders dethroned by Thorgan Hazard". UEFA. 27 June 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  41. "Fernando Santos explica não utilização de Nuno Mendes e Pote no Euro'2020" [Fernando Santos explains why Nuno Mendes and Pote were not used in Euro'2020]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 27 June 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
  42. "Os 26 convocados de Portugal: Gonçalo Ramos, António Silva, Otávio e Matheus Nunes chamados" [Portugal select 26: Gonçalo Ramos, António Silva, Otávio and Matheus Nunes called] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 10 November 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
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  45. Nuno Mendes at Soccerway
  46. "Nuno Mendes". EU-Football.info. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
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