Stiven Mendoza facts for kids
Mendoza with Santos in 2023
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | John Steven Mendoza Valencia | ||
| Date of birth | 27 June 1992 | ||
| Place of birth | Palmira, Colombia | ||
| Height | 1.71 m | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | León | ||
| Number | 11 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2010–2013 | Envigado | 9 | (0) |
| 2012 | → América Cali (loan) | 41 | (10) |
| 2013 | → Cúcuta Deportivo (loan) | 15 | (4) |
| 2013–2014 | Deportivo Cali | 16 | (2) |
| 2014 | Chennaiyin | 9 | (4) |
| 2015–2017 | Corinthians | 18 | (3) |
| 2015 | → Chennaiyin (loan) | 16 | (13) |
| 2016 | → New York City (loan) | 24 | (5) |
| 2017 | → Bahia (loan) | 31 | (8) |
| 2018–2021 | Amiens | 67 | (13) |
| 2021–2022 | Ceará | 60 | (12) |
| 2023–2024 | Santos | 37 | (10) |
| 2024 | Adana Demirspor | 14 | (3) |
| 2024– | León | 10 | (3) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2009 | Colombia U17 | 7 | (0) |
| 2011 | Colombia U20 | 5 | (0) |
| 2019 | Colombia | 2 | (0) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
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John Stiven Mendoza Valencia (born June 27, 1992) is a professional football player from Colombia. He plays as a forward for the Mexican club León. Steven also played for the Colombia national football team twice in 2019.
He started his career at Envigado and later played for América Cali and Cúcuta Deportivo on loan. In 2013, he joined Deportivo Cali. In 2014, he moved to Chennaiyin for the first Indian Super League season. After that, he joined Corinthians in Brazil.
He was loaned back to Chennaiyin for the second Indian Super League season. During this time, he won the Indian Super League Golden Boot award for scoring the most goals. He helped Chennaiyin win the league championship that year. Steven also played on loan for New York City FC in the USA and Bahia in Brazil. In 2018, he signed with Amiens in France.
Three years later, he returned to Brazil to play for Ceará. After that, he played for Santos. He then moved to Adana Demirspor in Turkey before joining León in Mexico.
Contents
Steven Mendoza's Football Journey
Starting in Colombia
Steven Mendoza was born in Palmira, Valle del Cauca, Colombia. He began his football career at Envigado. His first professional game in the Categoría Primera A was on August 8, 2010. He played the whole game, which Envigado lost 1-0 at home.
He played a few games in 2010 and 2011. After playing on loan for América Cali and Cúcuta Deportivo, Mendoza signed a two-year contract with Deportivo Cali on July 18, 2013. This was special because Deportivo Cali was the club he supported.
Playing in India: Chennaiyin FC
On October 1, 2014, Mendoza joined Chennaiyin in the new Indian Super League. He played his first game for the team two weeks later. He came on as a substitute in a 2-1 win.
On October 28, he scored his first two goals in the league. This happened in a big 5-1 win against Mumbai City. He scored two more goals in November. He finished the season with four goals in nine games. Chennaiyin won the regular season, but Steven was injured and couldn't play in the semi-finals.
Time in Brazil: Corinthians
On December 19, 2014, Mendoza moved to Brazil and joined Sport Club Corinthians Paulista. He signed a four-year deal. He played his first game for Corinthians on February 8, 2015. It was a derby match against Palmeiras, which Corinthians won 1-0.
He scored his first goal for the team on February 25 in a 2-0 win. On April 19, he scored in a semi-final game that ended in a 2-2 draw. His team lost the game after a penalty shootout.
Mendoza played his first game in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A on May 10, 2015. Corinthians won the national championship that season.
Back to Chennaiyin on Loan
On August 31, 2015, Mendoza went back to Chennaiyin on loan for the 2015 season. In their first game, he scored three goals in a 4-0 victory. Five days later, he scored two more goals in another win.
He scored his sixth goal on October 24. On November 21, he scored another three goals in a 4-1 win. Three days later, he scored his tenth goal of the season. By December 1, he had scored his eleventh goal, helping his team win 3-0.
On December 12, in the semi-finals, Mendoza scored in a 3-0 home win. In the final on December 20, his team was losing 2-1 with only three minutes left. Mendoza then scored the winning goal in extra time, making the score 3-2. He was named the "Hero of the League" and won the Indian Super League Golden Boot for scoring 13 goals.
Loans to USA and Brazil
On March 8, 2016, Mendoza moved to the United States. He joined New York City FC in Major League Soccer on a loan for the season. He played his first game five days later. On April 30, he scored his first goal for the team, helping them win 3-2.
On June 7, 2017, Bahia in Brazil confirmed that Mendoza would play for them on loan. He scored 8 goals in 31 games for Bahia. This included two goals in a 3-0 win on August 20.
Playing in France: Amiens
On January 17, 2018, Mendoza moved to France. He signed with Ligue 1 club Amiens until 2021. He played his first game that same day, which was a 1-1 draw. He scored two goals in 13 games for the rest of that season.
In the summer of 2019, Mendoza wanted to leave France. After some difficult personal events, including a family tragedy, he decided to stay. On September 25, he scored a goal very quickly in a game. He scored again on September 28. On October 4, he helped his club win against Marseille for the first time ever, scoring the third goal in a 3-1 victory.
The 2019–20 season was his best in France, with five goals in 15 games. However, his team was moved down to a lower league. On December 5, 2020, he scored two goals in a 2-1 win in Ligue 2.
Return to Brazil: Ceará
In February 2021, Mendoza returned to Brazil's top league. He signed with Ceará until the end of 2023. He played his first game on March 20, a 0-0 draw. He scored two goals in nine games in April. On May 8, his team lost a final game after a penalty shootout. He was suspended for a month after a disagreement on the field.
In his first full season with Ceará, he scored one goal in 28 games. Mendoza was the top scorer for Ceará in 2022, with 22 goals in total. However, his team was moved down from the top league that year.
Playing for Santos
On December 8, 2022, Mendoza was announced as a new player for Santos in Brazil. He signed a three-year contract. He played his first game for Santos on January 14, 2023, in a 2-1 win.
Mendoza scored his first goal for Santos on January 28, 2023. He scored the goal that made the game a 1-1 draw.
Moving to Turkey: Adana Demirspor
On February 5, 2024, Santos announced that Mendoza's contract was ended. He then moved to the Turkish club Adana Demirspor.
Playing for His Country: Colombia
Mendoza played for Colombia's national youth teams. He was part of the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup team and the 2011 South American U-20 Championship team.
In late October 2019, because he was playing well for Amiens, the national team coach Carlos Queiroz called Mendoza up to the senior team. He was called for friendly games against Peru and Ecuador in the United States. He played his first game for Colombia on November 15, 2019. He came on as a substitute in a 1-0 win against Peru.
What Steven Mendoza Has Won
Corinthians
- Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 2015 (Brazil's top league)
Chennaiyin
- Indian Super League: 2015 (India's top league)
Individual Awards
- Indian Super League Hero of the League: 2015 (Best player in the league)
- Indian Super League Golden Boot: 2015 (Top goal scorer in the league)
See also
In Spanish: John Stiven Mendoza para niños
