Nuno Mendes (footballer, born 2002) facts for kids
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Mendes with Paris Saint-Germain in 2024
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Nuno Alexandre Tavares Mendes | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 19 June 2002 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Sintra, Portugal | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Left-back | |||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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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 | 53 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| 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 | 37 | (1) | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:55, 17 May 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 07:15, 9 June 2025 (UTC) |
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Nuno Alexandre Tavares Mendes (born 19 June 2002) is a Portuguese professional footballer. He plays as a left-back for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the Portugal national team. A left-back is a defender who plays on the left side of the field.
Nuno Mendes grew up in the Sporting CP youth academy. He made his first team debut in 2020. In his first full season, he helped Sporting CP win two major titles: the Primeira Liga (Portugal's top league) and the Taça da Liga (a cup competition). He was also named in the best team of the league that year.
In August 2021, Nuno Mendes joined Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on a loan. He then joined the club permanently in June 2022. In the 2024–25 season, he was a key player for PSG. They won a "continental treble," which means they won three major competitions, including their first-ever UEFA Champions League title.
Mendes has played for Portugal at different youth levels. He made his debut for the senior national team in 2021. He was part of the squads for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and two European Championships (2020 and 2024). In 2025, he helped Portugal win the UEFA Nations League and was named the best player of the finals.
Contents
Club Career
Starting Out in Football
Nuno Mendes was born in Sintra, Portugal. His family has roots in Cape Verde. He started playing football when he was 9 years old. His favorite players were Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, David Alaba, and Marcelo. He especially tried to play like Alaba and Marcelo, who are also left-backs.
A school teacher named Bruno Botelho noticed Nuno's talent. He invited Nuno to play for a local club called Despertar. Nuno quickly stood out and caught the attention of big clubs like Benfica, Porto, and Sporting CP. He joined Sporting CP's youth academy when he was 10.
When he was 14, Nuno moved to Sporting's academy full-time. Before that, he used to travel two hours every night to train. At first, Nuno played as an attacking midfielder. This is a player who helps score goals from the middle of the field. Later, he changed to play as a left-back, which is a defensive position on the side of the field. It was a bit difficult for him at first.
Playing for Sporting CP
In 2020, the youth football season ended early because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nuno Mendes was one of a few young players asked to join the first team. He had only played once since November due to an injury.
He played his first professional game on 12 June 2020. It was a 1–0 win against Paços de Ferreira. He came into the game as a substitute in the 72nd minute.
After another player left the team, Nuno Mendes became the main left-back at just 18 years old. He was the youngest player to start for Sporting CP since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2002. He scored his first goal for the team on 4 October 2020. It was in a 2–0 win against Portimonense.
On 19 December 2020, Nuno Mendes signed a new contract. This contract increased his "buyout clause" from €45 million to €70 million. A buyout clause is a fee that another club would have to pay to buy him. He played 29 games for Sporting CP that season. They won the league title, and he was named in the league's Team of the Year.
On 31 July 2021, Nuno Mendes helped Sporting CP win the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira. This is a super cup match played between the league champions and the cup winners. He made an assist (a pass that leads to a goal) in their 2–1 win against Braga.
Time at Paris Saint-Germain
First League Titles
On 31 August 2021, Nuno Mendes joined Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on a loan for the season. PSG is a famous club in France. He played his first game in Ligue 1 (France's top league) on 11 September. He came on as a substitute in a 4–0 win against Clermont.
Four days later, he played his first game in the UEFA Champions League. This is a big competition for top clubs in Europe. He came on as a substitute in a 1–1 draw against Club Brugge. He quickly made an impact, setting up a chance for Lionel Messi. He made his first start later that month in a 2–1 win against Lyon. He helped PSG win their 10th French league title. He was also nominated for the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year award and named in the Team of the Year.
On 31 May 2022, PSG bought Nuno Mendes permanently for €38 million. He signed a four-year contract. He scored his first goal for PSG on 3 September 2022. It was in a 3–0 win against Nantes. His first Champions League goal came on 2 November. It was the winning goal in a 2–1 victory against Juventus. In the 2022–23 season, he was a key player as PSG won their 11th league title. He won the Young Player of the Year award again and was included in the Team of the Year.
Injuries and Treble Win
Nuno Mendes had a hamstring injury starting in May 2023. He had surgery in October. He returned to play on 25 February 2024. He played 20 minutes in a 1–1 draw against Rennes.
He helped his team reach the Champions League semi-finals. They were knocked out by Borussia Dortmund. PSG also won the "domestic treble" that season. This means they won three titles in their own country: Ligue 1, the Coupe de France (French Cup), and the Trophée des Champions (French Super Cup). Nuno Mendes did not play in the Trophée des Champions due to his injury.
On 9 February 2025, Nuno Mendes signed a contract extension until 2029. Ten days later, he scored a goal in the Champions League against Brest. PSG won that game 7–0. He also scored in both quarter-final games against Aston Villa. PSG achieved a "continental treble" by winning Ligue 1, the Coupe de France, and their first-ever Champions League title. They beat Inter Milan 5–0 in the final. Nuno Mendes was named in the Champions League Team of the Season.
International Career
Nuno Mendes first played for Portugal's under-21 team. This was shortly after he started playing for his club. He played in a 4–0 win against Cyprus on 4 September 2020. Before that, he played for Portugal's under-16, under-17, under-18, and under-19 teams.
Six months later, Nuno Mendes was called up to the senior Portugal national team. This was for 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches. He made his first appearance for the senior team on 24 March 2021. He played the whole game in a 1–0 win against Azerbaijan.
Mendes was chosen for UEFA Euro 2020, but he did not play any games. Portugal was knocked out in the round of 16. The coach later said that Nuno had injury problems during the tournament.
In November 2022, Nuno Mendes was named in the squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He got a thigh injury in the second group-stage match against Uruguay. Because of this, he missed the rest of the tournament.
During qualifying for UEFA Euro 2024, Nuno Mendes played one game against Luxembourg. He assisted Cristiano Ronaldo's first goal in a 6–0 win. He missed the rest of the qualifying games due to a hamstring injury. Portugal won all ten of their matches in their group. He was chosen for the Euro 2024 finals in Germany. He started in some group games and knockout matches.
Mendes was selected for the 2025 UEFA Nations League Finals. On 4 June, he assisted Ronaldo's winning goal in the semi-finals against Germany. He scored his first goal for Portugal four days later in a 2–2 draw against Spain in the final. He played a key role in defending against Lamine Yamal during the match. He also scored his penalty in the 5–3 shootout win. He was named the best player of the match and the best player of the tournament.
How Nuno Mendes Plays
Nuno Mendes is known for his strong attacking skills, speed, and technical ability. He mainly plays as a left-sided full-back or wing-back. This means he can create danger from a standing start or when his team is counter-attacking.
Besides his dribbling skills, he is very good at crossing the ball. This is when a player kicks the ball from the side of the field into the middle, hoping a teammate can score. His physical strength and speed help him win the ball from opponents. He is also good at predicting where the ball will go and winning it back.
Early in his career, some experts questioned his defensive skills. They thought his decision-making, positioning, and awareness needed to improve. However, over the years, especially under coach Luis Enrique at Paris Saint-Germain, he became much better defensively. He learned when to push forward and when to stay back. His one-on-one defending improved, and he made fewer risky challenges. He also became more aware of space and opponent movements. His strong defensive performances against top players like Bukayo Saka, Mohamed Salah, and Lamine Yamal showed how much he had improved. He is now seen as a more complete and balanced full-back.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Sporting CP | 2019–20 | Primeira Liga | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| 2020–21 | Primeira Liga | 29 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 35 | 1 | ||
| 2021–22 | Primeira Liga | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 40 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 47 | 1 | ||
| Paris Saint-Germain (loan) | 2021–22 | Ligue 1 | 27 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | — | 37 | 0 | ||
| Paris Saint-Germain | 2022–23 | Ligue 1 | 23 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 2 | |
| 2023–24 | Ligue 1 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 1 | ||
| 2024–25 | Ligue 1 | 24 | 1 | 5 | 0 | — | 16 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 53 | 5 | ||
| Total | 80 | 3 | 12 | 0 | — | 35 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 136 | 8 | |||
| Career total | 120 | 4 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 37 | 5 | 10 | 0 | 183 | 9 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal | 2021 | 11 | 0 |
| 2022 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 14 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 4 | 1 | |
| Total | 37 | 1 | |
- Scores and results list Portugal's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Mendes goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 June 2025 | Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany | 37 |  Spain |
1–1 | 2–2 (aet) (5–3 p) |
2025 UEFA Nations League Finals |
Honours
Sporting CP
- Primeira Liga: 2020–21
- Taça da Liga: 2020–21
- Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2021
Paris Saint-Germain
- Ligue 1: 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25
- Coupe de France: 2023–24, 2024–25
- Trophée des Champions: 2022, 2024
- UEFA Champions League: 2024–25
- FIFA Club World Cup runner-up: 2025
Portugal
- UEFA Nations League: 2024–25
Individual Awards
- Primeira Liga Team of the Year: 2020–21
- IFFHS Men's Youth (U20) World Team: 2021, 2022
- Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year: 2022–23
- UNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year: 2021–22, 2022–23, 2024–25
- UEFA Champions League Team of the Season: 2024–25
- The Athletic European Men's Team of the Season: 2024–25
- UEFA Nations League Finals Player of the Tournament: 2025
- FIFA Club World Cup Team of the Tournament: 2025
See also
In Spanish: Nuno Mendes (futbolista) para niños
