Nuno Mendes (footballer, born 2002)

Nuno Alexandre Tavares Mendes (born 19 June 2002) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a left back for Sporting CP.

This name uses Portuguese naming customs: the first or maternal family name is Tavares and the second or paternal family name is Mendes.
Nuno Mendes
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 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)[1]
Position(s) Left back
Club information
Current team
 Sporting CP
Number 5
Youth career
2011–2012 Despertar
2012–2020 Sporting CP
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2020– Sporting CP 21 (1)
National team‡
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)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 8 January 2021
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 15 November 2020

Club career

Born in Sintra, Lisbon District of Angolan descent,[2] Mendes joined the youth academy of Sporting CP at the age of 10.[3] He made his professional debut in a 1–0 Primeira Liga home win against F.C. Paços de Ferreira on 12 June 2020, as a 72nd-minute substitute for Marcos Acuña.[4][5]

After Acuña left for Sevilla FC in the 2020 off-season, Mendes became first choice for the Rúben Amorim-led side at only 18.[6] He scored his first competitive goal for them on 4 October of the same year, in the 2–0 away victory over Portimonense SC.[7]

Mendes agreed to a contract extension on 19 December 2020, increasing his buyout clause from €45 million to €70 million.[8]

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.[9][10]

Career statistics

Club
As of 7 November 2020[11]
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 7100002[lower-alpha 1]00091
Total 16100002000181
Career total 16100002000181
  1. Appearances in UEFA Europa League

Honours

Sporting

References
  1. "Nuno Mendes" (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. "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.
  5. "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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. "Inter linked Nuno Mendes extends contract with Sporting Lisbon, Portuguese media report". One Football. 19 December 2020. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  9. "Rui Jorge estreia três jogadores do Sporting e um do Benfica nos sub-21" [Rui Jorge gives debut to three Sporting players and one from Benfica in under-21s]. O Minho (in Portuguese). 24 August 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  10. "Sub21: Portugal goleia em Chipre e Diogo Leite bisa" [Under21: Portugal rout in Cyprus and Diogo Leite grabs brace] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 4 September 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  11. Nuno Mendes at Soccerway
  12. Ribeiro, Patrick (23 January 2021). "Sporting battle their way to League Cup glory with victory over Braga". PortuGOAL. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
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