Ryan Mendes

Player Profile

Ryan Isaac Mendes da Graça (Portuguese: [ʀi.ˈɐ̃ i.ˈzak ˈmẽ.dɨʒ dɐ ˈɡɾa.sɐ]; born 8 January 1990) is a Cape Verdean professional footballer who plays as a winger for TFF 1. Lig club Iğdır 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 and Fatih Karagümrük. Mendes made his senior international debut for Cape Verde in 2010, earning over 90 caps. He represented the nation at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2013, 2015, 2021 and 2023. He is Cape Verde’s most capped player and top goalscorer.

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