Nuno Mendes - Portuguese wonderkid
A profile of Portugal’s finest young left-sided footballer - Nuno Mendes
Nuno Mendes is making a huge splash in the Portuguese Primeira Liga, becoming a key member of a squad hunting for Sporting’s first league title since 2001/02 as well as a full Portugal international, all by the age of 18.
Where was Nuno Mendes Born?
Mendes was born in Sintra, a suburb of Lisbon, to Angolan parents on the 19th June 2002. The diminutive wing-back joined Sporting as a 9-year-old and has worked his way through the ranks all the way to the first team starting XI.
Sintra - Like something out of Game of Thrones
What position does Nuno Mendes play?
For his club Sporting, Mendes operates as a left wing-back in the 3-4-3 formation favoured by manager Ruben Amorim.
This allows him the freedom to cover the entire left side, contributing to attack while offering defensive solidity. His role for Portugal has been as a more conventional left full-back, but with Ruben Dias on his inside, he still has a license to join the attack at will.
What are Nuno Mendes’ attributes?
The 18-year-old possesses a perfect combination of speed, technique and desire at both ends of the pitch. His former youth coach Diogo Goncalves remarked,
“He’s very strong in one-against-ones, has excellent crossing ability and it’s very easy for him to throw the opposition off balance,” adding, “He’s more than a full-back.”
When did Nuno Mendes get his chance?
Prior to the 2019/20 season, Mendes found himself behind Argentine international Marcos Acuna in the pecking order. Following Ruben Amorim’s appointment in March 2020, he vowed to better utilise the club’s famed Alcochete academy. True to his word, Amorim handed Mendes his debut the day before his 18th birthday. After some very impressive displays while deputising, Sporting moved Acuna on to Sevilla in the summer of 2020 to free up a more permanent role for Mendes at left wing back
What impact has Nuno Mendes had?
It’s fair to say Mendes’ rise has been nothing short of meteoric. As part of a youthful squad of players including Pedro Goncalves, Tiago Tomas and Man City loanee Pedro Porro, Sporting find themselves leading the way in the hunt for their first league title in 19 years. Unbeaten in the league so far, Mendes has lost only 1 match this season, a disappointing 4-1 defeat to LASK Linz in the Europa league.
He has quickly improved from a young prospect to a bona fide, ready-made star in less than 12 months and hopes to end the season as a Portuguese champion.
When did Nuno Mendes make his international debut?
Mendes’ rapid progression did not go unchecked by Portugal. After only 4 caps for the U21s, he found himself in Fernando Santos’ senior squad for March’s round of international fixtures.
He made his debut in a World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan on the 24th March 2021, completing the full 90 minutes in a 1-0 win. He followed this up with 2 more caps, an 18-minute cameo in a 2-2 draw with Serbia and a further full 90 minutes in a 3-1 win against Luxembourg. At the tender age of 18, he looks to have nailed down Portugal’s starting left-back berth for the upcoming Euros.
What is Nuno Mendes worth?
Players of such quality at a young age come at a premium. Maybe this is why Sporting moved to extend Mendes’ contract in December 2020, improving his terms while upping his release clause from €45million to €70million. According to transfermarkt.com, the youngster’s value stands at £22.5million, ranking him as the world’s 11th highest valued u19 player.
A strong showing at Euro 2020 could see his value skyrocket, so don’t be shocked to see Europe’s elite move prior to the tournament.
Which clubs have been linked to Nuno Mendes?
It’s of no surprise to see the likes of Manchester Utd, Manchester City and Barcelona linked with the mercurial wing-back. With United and City already blessed with depth in the left-back role, a move to Barcelona may make the most sense.
Veteran Jordi Alba is not getting any younger and with Junior Firpo not overly impressive as his deputy, there could be an important role for Mendes to play right away. Wherever he chooses to further his development, it’s clear it will be at one of Europe’s leading clubs.
Which player does Nuno Mendes compare to?
With pace to burn, an iron will to defend and a motor that doesn’t stop, it’s easy to draw comparisons with legendary French left-back Patrice Evra. Mendes has a bit to go to match the medal count of Evra, but with a bit of luck he could well surpass his achievements and more.
Check out our piece on the best young players from Portugal here!
