Early career Born in
Sintra,
Lisbon District of
Cape Verdean descent, Mendes started playing football aged 9, 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. 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. 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. Mendes agreed to a contract extension on 19 December 2020, increasing his
buyout clause from €45 million to €70 million. He played 29 games for the
eventual champions, while also being named in the
Team of the Year. 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.
Paris Saint-Germain 2021–23: First league titles and Ligue Young Player of the Year On 31 August 2021, Mendes joined
Paris Saint-Germain on a
season-long loan with an option to buy. 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. 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; 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. He made his first start later that month, in a 2–1 win over
Lyon. He helped PSG to win their record-tying 10th national championship by making 27 appearances (18 starts), 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. On 31 May 2022, Mendes' buyout clause of €38 million was triggered and he signed a permanent four-year contract. He scored his first official goal on 3 September, closing a 3–0 away victory against
Nantes. 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. During
the season, he was a key contributor to his team's record 11th title, winning the Young Player of the Year and being included in the Team of the Year in the process.
2023–present: Injury issues and continental treble in 2024 Mendes had suffered from a hamstring injury since May 2023, and was successfully operated in October by surgeon Lasse Lempainen in
Turku, Finland. He only made his return on 25 February 2024, playing 20 minutes of the 1–1 league home draw against
Rennes in place of
Lucas Hernandez. He eventually helped his team to reach the
Champions League semi-finals, where they were knocked out by
Borussia Dortmund 2–0 on aggregate; they also won the
domestic treble with record-extending successes in
Ligue 1, the
Coupe de France and the
Trophée des Champions, with the player only not taking part in the latter due to his injury. On 9 February 2025, Mendes agreed to an extension until 2029. Ten days later, in the second leg of the
Champions League knockout phase play-offs, he scored PSG's fifth goal in the 7–0 win over fellow French
Brest, helping his side to a 10–0 aggregate victory; he also found the net in both legs of the quarter-finals against
Aston Villa (3–1 home victory, 3–2 away loss), achieving the continental treble by winning the
Ligue 1, the
Coupe de France and a first-ever Champions League after a 5–0 defeat of
Inter Milan in
the final, being named in the latter competition's Team of the Season; his performances led to him emerging as a contender for the
2025 Ballon d'Or, finally ranking 10th. On 5 October 2025, Mendes scored the first
free kick of his career, opening a 1–1 away draw against
Lille. ==International career==