| Age: | 23 years |
| Date of birth: | 19 June 2002 |
| Height, weight: | 180 cm, 70 kg |
| Born: | Sintra (Lisbon), Portugal |
| Citizenship: | Portugal |
| Position: | Left-back |
| Club: | Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) |
| Number: | 25 |
| In team since: | 1 July 2022 |
| Contract until: | 30 June 2029 |
| Contract extension: | 7 February 2025 |
| Market value: | ≈75 million € |
| Preferred foot: | Left |
| Agent: | AS1 |
Biography of Nuno Mendes
Nuno Alexandre Tavares Mendes is a Portuguese left-back who plays for Paris Saint-Germain and the Portugal national team. He is considered one of the best modern full-backs in football thanks to his speed, technique and attacking potential.
Early years and path to the Sporting academy
Mendes was born in Sintra to a family of Cape Verdean descent. As a child, his football idols were:
- Cristiano Ronaldo
- Lionel Messi
- David Alaba
- Marcelo
At the age of nine, his school teacher Bruno Botelho invited him to play for the local club Despertar.
At 10 years old, Mendes passed the selection and joined the Sporting academy. As a child he played as an attacking midfielder, but was later moved to the left-back position, where he initially struggled. At 14, he moved into the club academy permanently and continued his development there.
Breakthrough at Sporting (2020-2021)
His professional debut took place on 12 June 2020 in the Portuguese league. In the 2020-21 season, the 18-year-old Mendes became the starting left-back and played a key role in Sporting's championship-winning campaign.
He helped the club secure a golden double:
- Primeira Liga title
- League Cup victory
He was also included in the league's Team of the Season.
Transfer to Paris Saint-Germain
On 31 August 2021 Mendes joined PSG on loan, and in the summer of 2022 the transfer became permanent (around €38 million).
During his first two seasons he:
- won the French championship
- was twice included in the Ligue 1 Team of the Season
After a serious injury in 2023 (hamstring surgery), he returned in February 2024 and gradually regained his form.
Season 2024-25: peak form and historic success
The 2024-25 season became decisive:
- PSG won a historic treble (Ligue 1, Coupe de France and Champions League)
- Mendes was included in the UEFA Champions League Team of the Season
- finished among the Ballon d'Or contenders (10th place)
In 2025 he extended his contract until 2029.
Personal life of Nuno Mendes
Nuno Mendes was born into a family of Cape Verdean origin and grew up in a modest neighborhood of Lisbon. His childhood was not easy - he traveled two hours every day to attend training before eventually moving into the Sporting academy.
He leads a relatively private life. It is known that he is in a relationship with Talita Silva. She regularly attends PSG matches at the Parc des Princes.
Mendes avoids unnecessary publicity and focuses on professional development.
Interesting facts about Nuno Mendes
- As a child he played as an attacking midfielder rather than a defender.
- During scouting he thought he was being chased by a robber - it turned out to be a Sporting scout.
- At 18 he became the youngest starter for Sporting since Cristiano Ronaldo.
- In 2025 he was named the best player of the UEFA Nations League final tournament.
- In the 2025 Nations League final he scored his first goal for Portugal and converted a penalty in the shootout.
- He is considered one of the fastest left-backs in Europe.
- His main strengths are one-on-one play, acceleration and attacking runs.
- He was previously criticized for defensive instability, but under Luis Enrique he became more tactically disciplined.
Statistics of Nuno Mendes
| Club | League | Season | Matches (league) | Goals | Matches (cups) | Goals | Matches (European competitions) | Goals | Total matches | Total goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sporting (Lisbon) | Primeira Liga | 2019/20 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| 2020/21 | 29 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 35 | 1 | ||
| 2021/22 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| Total Sporting | 40 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 47 | 1 | ||
| Paris Saint-Germain | Ligue 1 | 2021/22 | 27 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 37 | 0 |
| 2022/23 | 23 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 32 | 2 | ||
| 2023/24 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 14 | 1 | ||
| 2024/25 | 23 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 13 | 4 | 41 | 6 | ||
| Total PSG | 79 | 4 | 13 | 0 | 32 | 5 | 124 | 9 | ||
| Total career | 119 | 5 | 18 | 0 | 34 | 5 | 171 | 10 |
Scandals involving Nuno Mendes
Nuno Mendes has not been involved in major disciplinary scandals, although several high-profile situations have occurred around him.
The most discussed happened in September 2024: after the match Paris Saint-Germain - Brest (3:1), the defender became the target of insults and racist messages on social media following a penalty incident.
Mendes published the received message on Instagram, after which the club released an official statement condemning racism and expressing full support for the player.
PSG management emphasized that such insults are "completely unacceptable" and promised to cooperate with authorities to punish those responsible.
