Stiven Mendoza facts for kids
Mendoza with Santos in 2023
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | John Stiven Mendoza Valencia | ||
| Date of birth | 27 June 1992 | ||
| Place of birth | Palmira, Colombia | ||
| Height | 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Athletico Paranaense | ||
| Number | – | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2010–2013 | Envigado | 13 | (0) |
| 2012 | → América Cali (loan) | 52 | (10) |
| 2013 | → Cúcuta Deportivo (loan) | 15 | (4) |
| 2013–2014 | Deportivo Cali | 21 | (2) |
| 2014 | Chennaiyin | 9 | (4) |
| 2015–2017 | Corinthians | 25 | (3) |
| 2015 | → Chennaiyin (loan) | 16 | (13) |
| 2016 | → New York City (loan) | 25 | (5) |
| 2017 | → Bahia (loan) | 31 | (8) |
| 2018–2021 | Amiens | 72 | (14) |
| 2021–2022 | Ceará | 96 | (23) |
| 2023 | Santos | 45 | (10) |
| 2023–2024 | Adana Demirspor | 14 | (3) |
| 2024–2025 | León | 28 | (9) |
| 2025– | Athletico Paranaense | 0 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2009 | Colombia U17 | 7 | (0) |
| 2011 | Colombia U20 | 5 | (0) |
| 2019 | Colombia | 2 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 3 July 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 20 November 2019 |
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John Stiven Mendoza Valencia (born on June 27, 1992) is a professional football player from Colombia. He plays as a forward for the Brazilian club Athletico Paranaense. He also played two games for the Colombia national football team in 2019.
Stiven Mendoza started his career at Envigado in Colombia. He then played for several clubs, including América Cali and Cúcuta Deportivo. In 2014, he joined Chennaiyin in India. After that, he moved to Corinthians in Brazil.
He was loaned back to Chennaiyin in 2015 and became the top scorer, helping them win the Indian Super League. He also played for New York City FC in the USA and Bahia in Brazil. Later, he joined Amiens in France. In 2021, he returned to Brazil to play for Ceará and then Santos. He also had short times playing for Adana Demirspor in Turkey and Club León in Mexico before joining Athletico Paranaense in 2025.
Stiven Mendoza's Club Journey
Starting in Colombia
Stiven Mendoza was born in Palmira, Valle del Cauca, Colombia. He began his football journey at Envigado. His first professional game was on August 8, 2010. He played the whole game, but his team lost 1-0 at home.
He played a few games in 2010 and 2011 for Envigado. He also played in the 2011 Copa Colombia cup. After being loaned to América Cali and Cúcuta Deportivo, Mendoza signed a two-year contract with Deportivo Cali in July 2013. This was special because Deportivo Cali was the club he supported as a fan.
Playing in India with Chennaiyin FC
On October 1, 2014, Mendoza joined Chennaiyin in the new Indian Super League. He played his first game for them two weeks later. He came on as a substitute in a 2-1 win against FC Goa.
On October 28, he scored his first two goals for the team. This helped Chennaiyin win 5-1 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 Mendoza was injured and could not play in the semi-finals.
Time with Corinthians in Brazil
On December 19, 2014, Mendoza moved to Brazil to play for Corinthians. He signed a four-year deal. His first game was on February 8, 2015, in a big match against Palmeiras, which Corinthians won 1-0.
He scored his first goal for Corinthians on February 25, helping them win 2-0. In April, he scored in a semi-final game against Palmeiras, but his team lost after a penalty shootout. Mendoza played in ten games in the 2015 season. He scored one goal, and Corinthians became the national champions that year.
Loan Back to Chennaiyin
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 win against FC Goa. Five days later, he scored two goals in another win against Mumbai City.
He continued to score many goals, including another three goals against Kerala Blasters in November. By December, he had scored 11 goals. In the semi-finals, he scored to help Chennaiyin win 3-0 in the first game. In the final against Goa, he helped his team win 3-2 by scoring the winning goal in extra time. Mendoza was named the best player of the league and won the Golden Boot award for scoring 13 goals.
Loans to New York City and Bahia
On March 8, 2016, Mendoza moved to the USA to play for New York City FC 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, Mendoza was loaned to Bahia in Brazil. He scored 8 goals in 31 games for Bahia. This included two goals in a 3-0 home win against Vasco da Gama in August.
Playing in France with Amiens
On January 17, 2018, Mendoza joined Ligue 1 club Amiens in France. He played his first game that same day, a 1-1 draw. He scored two goals in 13 games for the rest of that season.
In 2019, Mendoza faced some difficult personal challenges in Colombia. Despite these difficulties, he showed great strength. He scored a goal very quickly against Bordeaux in September. He then scored again a few days later against Angers. In October, he helped Amiens win 3-1 against Marseille, which was a big win for the club.
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. In December 2020, he scored two goals in a 2-1 win in Ligue 2.
Return to Brazil with Ceará and Santos
In February 2021, Mendoza returned to Brazil to play for Ceará. He played his first game on March 20, a 0-0 draw. He scored two goals in April. In May, his team lost the final of a competition on penalties.
In 2022, Mendoza was the top scorer for Ceará, scoring 22 goals in total. However, his team was moved down from the top league. On December 8, 2022, Mendoza signed a three-year contract with Santos. He played his first game for Santos on January 14, 2023, in a 2-1 win. He scored his first goal for Santos on January 28, 2023, in a 1-1 draw.
Short Stints in Turkey and Mexico
On February 5, 2024, Santos announced that Mendoza's contract was ended. He then moved to the Turkish club Adana Demirspor. After playing in Turkey, Mendoza joined Club León in Mexico in 2024. He played for them until 2025.
Joining Athletico Paranaense
In 2025, Stiven Mendoza joined Athletico Paranaense in Brazil. This is his current club.
Playing for Colombia
Mendoza played for Colombia's youth national teams. He was part of the Colombia U17 team in the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Nigeria. He also played for the Colombia U20 team in 2011.
In October 2019, because he was playing well for Amiens, he was called up to the senior national team. He played in friendly games against Peru and Ecuador in the United States. His first game for the senior team was on November 15, 2019, when he came on as a substitute in a 1-0 win against Peru.
Awards and Achievements
Corinthians
- Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 2015 (This means they won the top Brazilian league!)
Chennaiyin
- Indian Super League: 2015 (They won the main Indian football league!)
Individual Awards
- Indian Super League Hero of the League: 2015 (He was named the best player in the league!)
- Indian Super League Golden Boot: 2015 (He scored the most goals in the league!)
See also
In Spanish: Steven Mendoza para niños
