Cape Verdean striker Ryan Mendes celebrated his country’s success in qualifying for the World Cup round of 32 on Friday night. Now, he is reportedly facing a rape complaint for incidents that allegedly happened in March 2026.
Ryan Mendes, the captain of Cape Verde, has been accused of raping a team translator. Reports say he entered her hotel room and choked her.
On Saturday, Brazil’s Globo news outlet reported that the 36-year-old captain, who has played in all three World Cup matches for Cape Verde, was accused of sexually assaulting a Brazilian woman. She was hired to be the team’s translator during their trip to New Zealand for a game in March.
The unnamed woman claimed she spoke to at least three officials from Cape Verde’s soccer authorities, but they did not respond to her concerns, according to Brazilian media.
New Zealand police are now looking into the case. They have collected security camera footage from an Auckland hotel and are waiting for results from a forensic investigation. This will help them decide if Mendes will face charges.
New Zealand media reported the alleged sexual assault last month, but the player's name was not revealed at that time. They only mentioned he was part of Cape Verde’s team.
In her statement, the woman said, “I was hired by Cape Verde’s soccer team for their games in the FIFA Series in New Zealand. After the first match against Chile, I was invited to a meeting in one of the hotel rooms reserved for the national side.
“But when I realised that I wasn’t needed to translate and that this was a social gathering, I returned to my room. Shortly after, I heard knocking on the door.”
When she opened it, Mendes allegedly forced his way into her room. He choked, punched, and bit her before raping her, according to her statement to New Zealand police.
She provided pictures of injuries on her mouth, neck, leg, and side, which she handed over to the police.
Mendes, whose Cape Verde team made history by being the smallest nation to reach the World Cup knockout rounds, has not yet responded to the allegations.
FIFA, soccer’s governing body, issued a statement hours after the allegations were reported on Sunday. They said they are in contact with New Zealand authorities and take allegations of misconduct “extremely seriously,” according to Brazilian media.
However, FIFA said it could not comment on the allegations or confirm if any investigations are ongoing.
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