Cape Verde national team captain Ryan Mendes is under investigation by New Zealand police due to sexual assault allegations..

The Athletic, citing multiple New Zealand media outlets, reported on Tuesday that Cape Verde national team captain Ryan Mendes is under investigation by New Zealand police for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman.

According to the report, Mendes is accused of sexually assaulting a Brazilian woman employed by the national team during a FIFA-organized friendly series earlier this year in New Zealand.

The woman reported to New Zealand Police that Mendes forced his way into her hotel room and sexually assaulted her.

Subsequently, photos and police reports seemingly matching the woman's account began circulating online. However, due to a lack of direct evidence, police have not yet formally arrested or charged Mendes, but the investigation into the player is still ongoing.

The report also stated that police initially prevented media outlets from revealing the player's name, but because the case had become widely known in New Zealand and had been reported by multiple local media outlets, Mendes's identity as the suspect was subsequently exposed.

Reporters attempted to contact the New Zealand police, Mendes himself, his agents, and the Cape Verdean Football Association, but all parties declined to comment before press time.

A FIFA spokesperson stated that the authorities are aware of the matter and take all allegations of players committing serious crimes, including sexual assault, very seriously.

As the investigation is ongoing, FIFA is not in a position to comment further at this time to avoid affecting the progress of the investigation and the impartiality of the judicial process. They are also not convenient at this stage to suspend Mendes, who is still playing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in United States, Canada and Mexico with Cape Verde.

However, the authorities will continue to maintain close contact with the New Zealand police and relevant law authorities and have pledged that the Ethics and Disciplinary Committee will take appropriate action against Mendes when necessary.

 Following this news, Mendes becomes the fifth player in this World Cup to be accused of sexually assaulting a woman, following Thomas Partey, Achraf Hakimi, Junya Ito, and Kaishu Sano.

Previously, Hakimi's former Real Madrid teammate, Theo Hernandez, was also accused of sexual assault by a Russian model in 2017, but the case was closed in 2020 after the model filed a false report and received a suspended sentence.

About Ryan Mendes

The 36-year-old Mendes was born on January 8, 1990, in Mindelo, Cape Verde. He is 1.78 meters tall and primarily plays as a left winger, but can also play as a right winger or center forward. He holds dual Cape Verdean and French citizenship.

Mendes previously played for Le Havre, Lille, Nottingham Forest, Kayserispor, and Sharjah. He is currently playing for Turkish First League club Igdir since the summer of 2025.

Internationally, Mendes has been a member of the Cape Verdean national team since August 2010 and officially became the national team captain in 2021.

So far, Mendes has made 100 appearances for Tubarões Azuis in all competitions, scoring 22 goals and providing 8 assists, making him the player with the most capped and all-time top goalscorer in the history of the Cape Verdean national team.

Image source: Internet / The Athletic