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Nuno Mendes in 2021 by Sporting Clube de Portugal –

Top 10 Amazing Facts about Football Star Nuno Mendes

Football is an ever-evolving game with changes in tactics and formations happening. One thing that happens with every generation is that there are crucial positions. For example, the early 2000s were the striker’s world and the 2010s belonged to midfielders. However, the modern game seems to be heavily reliant on full-backs (Left and right backs).

Nuno Mendes is one of the upcoming left-backs in world football. He is mentioned alongside already popular names in the game. These include; Chelsea’s Reece James, Liverpool’s Trent and Robertson, and PSG’s Hakimi to name a few.

Nuno Alexandre Tavares Mendes is a professional football playing for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and Portugal’s national team. He is an explosive player whose chance creation ability is only is only second to his defending skills.

Below are some interesting facts about Nuno Mendes.

1. He Though His Scout Was a Robber

Thief by Mohamed Hassan from

As a child, Mendes’ teacher recognized his talent and immediately invited him to play for the local club Despertar. Mendes took heed of his teacher’s advice and despite the club being on the outskirts of Lisbon, he made the Journey daily.

While at the club, he caught the eye of top clubs n Portugal such as Benfica, Porto, and Sporting CP. Sporting CP sent a scout Akil Momade to Mendes’ house to talk to him and his parents.

Nuno was home alone at the time and when Akil came knocking he thought it might be a robber. So, he grabbed a knife to be safe, and luckily, he gave Akil the chance to introduce himself before attacking. Lucky not only for Akil but us too because this would have been a very sad article.

Akil produced a Sporting Card and stated that Sporting CP was interested in him and he agreed to join them. With his parent’s permission and approval of course.

2. He Joined the Sporting Academy At 10 Years of Age

After being approached by Sporting’s scout Akil Momade, Mendes joined the Sporting Academy immediately. At the time he was 10 years old.

He used to drive for one hour to and back from the academy since he lived in Sintra at the time. After communing for four years, it was decided it would be better if he moved closer to the academy. Luckily, Sporting has an Alcochete-based residency program which Mendes moved into.

3. Played in Various Positions Before Settling on Fullback

After joining the Sporting Academy, Mendes was deployed as a number 10. The number 10 position is occupied by an attacking midfielder, denoted by CAM for Central Attacking Midfielder.

Some popular number 10s include Mesut Ozil, Messi (for a while), Iniesta, De Bruyne, and Muller among others. He struggled at the role but was then moved to the fullback role as his abilities and instincts best suited this position.

4. Was Called Up to The First Team Due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Corona Virus banner by Pete Linforth from

2020 was the darkest year across the globe in recent human history due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic saw footballing activities come to a halt when seasons were put on a hold. However, we were able to pull through albeit with immeasurable losses to many.

When football resumed, Mendes was called up among several other youth players by coach Ruben Amorim. He made his professional debut on 12th June 2020 against Paços de Ferreira as a substitute which they won 1-0.

5. Youngest Players to Start for Sporting CP since Cristiano Ronaldo

Ronaldo memorabilia at Sporting CP’s museum by Threeohsix –

As Mendes was joining the first team ranks at sporting, Marcus Acuna, left for Sevilla. This left a clear path for Mendes who grabbed the gift with two open arms.

As the new starting left back, Mendes became the club’s youngest player to make Sporing’s starting lineup. The record was previously set by Cristiano Ronaldo (I think you might be familiar with some of his work) back in 2002.

6. Made the Primeira Liga Team of The Year in the 2020/21 season

The 2020/21 season was memorable, to say the least for Nuno Mendes. He cemented himself as a regular for the club and was always the first name on the team sheet.

He was an adept attacker creating chances for his teammates as Sporting ran away with the league title. In that same year, he got his first international call-up for Portugal. He concluded the season with 29 appearances and a goal as well as an assist.

Nuno Mendes’ performances left a lot to admire and he was named in the league’s team of the year. The team included some popular names including Pedro Porro, Taremi, Seferovic, and Oliveira among others.

7. Initially Joined PSG On a Season Long Loan

 So impressive was Nuno Mendes that Sporting decided to offer him a new long-term contract. On 19th December 2020, he signed a new 5-year contract lasting up to 2025. The new contract increased his buyout clause from €45 to €70 million.

However, when the season ended, it became apparent that Sporting would not be able to keep hold of Mendes. PSG came knocking and the clubs agreed on a season-long loan to PSG with an option to buy. He joined PSG on 31st August 2021.

He made his Ligue 1 debut on 11th September in a 4-0 win against Clermont. Four days later he made his UCL debut as a substitute in a 1-1 draw against Belgian side Club Brugge. He assisted Lionel Messi with PSG’s goal in the game.

 8. Made the Ligue 1 Team of The Year in His First Season At PSG

Nuno Mendes’ teammate Kylian Mbappe by Sandro Halank –

Nuno Mendes was a key member of Mauricio Pochettino’s team in his first year in the Rouge et Bleu. The Portuguese international had a fantastic year after discovering Ligue 1 and the Champions League while wearing a Parisian jersey.

Donning number 25 for the season, Mendes completed the season with two assists. He was consistent and finished the season with 2,406 minutes, the eighth most in the entire PSG squad for the season.

At the end of the season, Mendes alongside two of his teammates was named in the league 1 team of the year. The two teammates were Kylian Mbappe and Marquinhos. He was also nominated for the young player of the year award. However, it was won by Arsenal’s (then at Marseille) William Saliba.

9. Got His First Senior International Call-Up in 2022

Portugal’s manager Fernando Santos called up Nuno Mendes. He was primed to play in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Azerbaijan, Luxembourg, and Serbia.

His first appearance for the team was on 24th March 2021 starting against Azerbaijan in a 1-0 victory. Portugal qualified for the World Cup and there is no doubt Nuno will be with the traveling squad. It is however yet to be determined whether or not Santos will start ahead of Raphael Guerreiro.

10. Angolan Descent

He is Angolan in origin, although he was born in Portugal. This means that Nuno Mendes’ grandparents on both his mother’s and father’s sides as well as his parents are all natives of Angola.