About Ryan Mendes

Ryan Isaac Mendes da Graça (born 8 January 1990) is a Cape Verdean professional footballer who plays as a winger for Süper Lig club Kocaelispor and the Cape Verde national team.

He spent most of his club career in France with Le Havre and Lille, and in the UAE Pro League with Sharjah and Al-Nasr. He also had brief spells in England's Championship with Nottingham Forest, and the Turkish Süper Lig with Kayserispor and Fatih Karagümrük.

Mendes made his senior international debut for Cape Verde in 2010, earning over 80 caps. He represented the nation at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2013, 2015, 2021 and 2023.