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Ryan Mendes allegations, explained: What to know about rape investigation concerning Cape Verde captain
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- Ryan Mendes allegations, explained: What to know about rape investigation concerning Cape Verde captain
Ryan Mendes allegations, explained: What to know about rape investigation concerning Cape Verde captain originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
Cape Verde have captured the hearts of soccer fans across the globe at the 2026 World Cup .
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The tournament debutants, whose population of a little over 500,000 makes them the third-smallest nation ever to have taken part at the World Cup , plotted a path to the knockout rounds with three consecutive draws against European champions Spain , Uruguay and Saudi Arabia .
A Round of 32 showdown with Lionel Messi as Argentina defends its title is likely to be a bridge too far for Bubista's team, but the match even happening is a cause for celebration.
Unfortunately, a serious and far darker story has emerged concerning one of Cape Verde's star players.
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Ryan Mendes rape investigation explained
Cape Verde captain Ryan Mendes is under investigation by police in New Zealand over allegations he raped a woman in March.
Mendes has not been charged by the authorities. The Cape Verdean Football Federation and the player's representatives did not comment when contacted by The Athletic .
Cape Verde played in New Zealand as part of the FIFA Series in March, facing Chile and Finland in international friendlies.
The alleged incident took place in the hours after a 4-2 defeat to Chile on March 27, as was initially reported by the New Zealand Herald in May. At that point, the identity of the player in question was not known.
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It is claimed that Mendes forced his way into the hotel room of a Brazilian woman who was working with Cape Verde as a FIFA-mandated team support worker, before raping her, as per multiple international reports.
In a statement given to The Athletic, FIFA said:
FIFA takes any allegation of misconduct extremely seriously and has a clear process in place for anyone in football who wants to report an incident.
As a general rule, please understand that the independent judicial bodies do not comment on allegations they may or may not have received, or whether or not investigations are underway into alleged cases. Any information they may like to share will be communicated at their discretion.
FIFA is in contact with the New Zealand authorities. Please understand we cannot comment further at this stage.
At the official pre-match press conference for the Argentina match, two English-speaking journalists were shut down by the FIFA press officer when attempting to ask Cape Verde coach Bubista and defender Stopira about the Mendes investigation.
Will Ryan Mendes play against Argentina?
Mendes is available for selection and is expected to play for Cape Verde against Argentina.
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The 36-year-old winger has played all three matches at the tournament so far, which brought him to 100 international caps. He has scored 22 goals for Cape Verde.
Both of those numbers are national records.
Which club team does Ryan Mendes play for?
Mendes plays for Turkish team Igdir, his third club in the country after Fatih Karagumruk and Kocaelispor.
Mendes initially played in Turkey for Kayserispor in 2017/18 following a season on loan in England at Nottingham Forest from French club Lille . He began his professional career with Le Havre.
After leaving Kayserispor, Mendes spent five years in the UAE, first with Sharjah before joining Al Nasr.
