Nuno Mendes Age, Parents, Wife, Family, Origin, Salary, Religion and Net Worth

Nuno Mendes signed for Paris Saint-Germain on a permanent basis in June 2022. The transfer was from Sporting CP, and PSG paid €40 million to exercise the buy option clause. Prior to this, he had been on loan at PSG since August 2021.

Nuno Mendes Biography

Full name	Nuno Alexandre Tavares Mendes
Date of birth	Jun 19, 2002
Age	22 years
Place of birth	Sintra, Portugal
Ethnicity	Portuguese of Angolan descent
Nationality	Portuguese
Father	Deceased (Name not publicly known)
Mother	Name not publicly known
Siblings	One elder brother, name not publicly known (4-5 years older)
Girlfriend	Brazilian model living in Portugal (Name not publicly known)
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Religion	Christian (Roman Catholic)
Position(s)	Left-Back
Current team	Paris Saint-Germain
Joined	Jul 1, 2022
Contract expires	Jun 30, 2026
Jersey number	25
Youth career	Despertar (2011–2012) Sporting CP (2012–2020)
Senior career	Sporting CP (2020–2022) PSG (loan), (2021–2022)
International career	Portugal U16 (2018) Portugal U17 (2018) Portugal U18 (2019) Portugal U19 (2019) Portugal U21 (2021) Portugal (2022-
Foot	left
Salary	£33,000 per week, £1,716,000 per year playing for PSG
Net Worth	$4 million
Market value	€55 million
Social media handle	nunomendes_5

Nuno Alexandre Tavares Mendes (born 19 June 2002) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the Portugal national team.

Mendes began his career in the Sporting CP youth academy and made his senior debut in 2020. During the 2020–21 season, he played a pivotal role in helping Sporting CP secure both the Primeira Liga and Taça da Liga titles. His impressive performances earned him a place in the Primeira Liga Team of the Year, further solidifying his reputation as one of the top young talents in Portuguese football.

In August 2021, Mendes joined Paris Saint-Germain on a season-long loan deal. Following a successful stint, PSG made the transfer permanent in June 2022 for a reported €38 million fee. At PSG, Mendes quickly established himself as a key player, contributing significantly to the team’s domestic and European campaigns.

Internationally, Mendes has represented Portugal at various youth levels before earning his senior debut in 2021. He has since been included in the national squad for major tournaments such as the 2022 FIFA World Cup and two UEFA European Championships, where he showcased his talent on the global stage.

Nuno Mendes Club Career

Early Years

Born in Sintra, Lisbon District, to parents of Angolan heritage, Mendes embarked on his football journey at the age of nine. His childhood inspirations included Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, David Alaba, and Marcelo, with the latter two shaping his ambition to master their playing styles. Mendes was initially discovered by his school teacher, Bruno Botelho, who encouraged him to join the local club Despertar, located on the outskirts of Lisbon. His exceptional talent quickly drew interest from Benfica, Porto, and Sporting CP, ultimately leading him to join Sporting’s esteemed youth academy at just ten years old.

An unusual incident occurred during Mendes’ scouting process. While returning from school, he noticed a man following him and, fearing a potential robbery, hurried back to his home in a struggling neighborhood. The individual turned out to be a Sporting scout, who later approached Mendes and successfully convinced him to sign with the club. For four years, Mendes dedicated himself to football, undertaking a grueling two-hour round trip for nightly training sessions with his teacher. At 14, he officially moved into Sporting’s academy.

Mendes began his career as an attacking midfielder but was later converted to the left-back role. Although the change was initially challenging, he adapted over time and honed his skills to excel in his new position.

Sporting CP

In early 2020, following the suspension of youth football due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Nuno Mendes was among a select group of youth players called up to the senior squad by manager Rúben Amorim. This occurred despite Mendes having been sidelined with an injury and only making a single appearance since November. He made his professional debut on June 12, 2020, coming on as a 72nd-minute substitute for Marcos Acuña in a 1–0 Primeira Liga victory over Paços de Ferreira.

With Acuña’s departure to Sevilla during the 2020 off-season, Mendes was promoted to the starting lineup at just 18 years old. This made him the youngest player in Sporting CP’s starting XI since Cristiano Ronaldo’s debut in September 2002. Mendes went on to start in six of the team’s final seven league games of the season. On October 4, 2020, he scored his first competitive goal for Sporting in a 2–0 win away to Portimonense.

On December 19, 2020, Mendes signed a new contract with the club, raising his release clause from €45 million to €70 million. His impressive performances that season included 29 appearances for the team that eventually clinched the league title. Mendes was also recognized by being named in the Team of the Year.

On July 31, 2021, Mendes played a pivotal role in Sporting’s 2–1 victory over Braga in the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, providing an assist for Jovane Cabral’s goal.

Paris Saint-Germain

On August 31, 2021, Mendes joined Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on a one-season loan deal that included an option to buy. He made his Ligue 1 debut on September 11, coming on as an 85th-minute substitute in PSG’s 4–0 win against Clermont. Four days later, he featured in his first UEFA Champions League match, replacing Abdou Diallo in the 75th minute of a 1–1 draw with Club Brugge during the group stage. Mendes made an immediate impact in that game, notably delivering an impressive run that created a scoring opportunity for Lionel Messi. Later in September, Mendes earned his first start in PSG’s 2–1 victory over Lyon.

Mendes became a crucial part of PSG’s squad, making 27 Ligue 1 appearances (18 starts) as the club secured their record-tying 10th national title. His performances earned him a nomination for the Young Player of the Year award and a spot in the Ligue 1 Team of the Year alongside two PSG teammates.

On May 31, 2022, PSG triggered Mendes’ €38 million buyout clause, signing him to a permanent four-year contract. On September 3, he scored his first official goal for PSG in a 3–0 away win against Nantes. Mendes also scored his maiden Champions League goal on November 2, netting the decisive strike in a 2–1 victory over Juventus during the final group-stage match. His contributions were instrumental in PSG’s record-breaking 11th Ligue 1 title. Mendes capped off the season by winning the Young Player of the Year award and earning a second consecutive inclusion in the Team of the Year.

Mendes faced a significant setback in May 2023 due to a hamstring injury that required surgery in October. The procedure, performed by surgeon Lasse Lempainen in Turku, Finland, was successful. Mendes returned to action on February 25, 2024, coming on for Lucas Hernandez in the final 20 minutes of a 1–1 league draw against Rennes.

Upon his return, Mendes played a vital role in PSG’s journey to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals, where they were eliminated by Borussia Dortmund with a 2–0 aggregate score. Despite missing the Trophée des Champions due to his earlier injury, Mendes contributed to PSG’s domestic treble, which included triumphs in Ligue 1, the Coupe de France, and the Trophée des Champions.

International Career

Nuno Mendes earned his first cap for Portugal’s under-21 team shortly after his professional debut, contributing to a 4–0 victory against Cyprus in the 2021 UEFA European Championship qualifiers on 4 September 2020. Before this, he had represented Portugal at the under-16, under-17, under-18, and under-19 levels.

Six months later, Mendes received his first senior team call-up from manager Fernando Santos for 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Azerbaijan, Luxembourg, and Serbia. As a result, he was withdrawn from the under-21 squad set to compete in the European Championship finals. Mendes made his senior debut on 24 March 2021, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 victory over Azerbaijan.

Mendes was selected for Portugal’s UEFA Euro 2020 squad but did not feature in any matches during the team’s round-of-16 exit. Santos later explained that he had intended to pair Mendes with Raphaël Guerreiro during the tournament, but injury issues prevented this.

In November 2022, Mendes was named in Portugal’s squad for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Unfortunately, he sustained a thigh injury during the first half of the second group-stage match against Uruguay, which ruled him out for the remainder of the tournament.

During the Euro 2024 qualifiers, Mendes made a single appearance, providing an assist for Cristiano Ronaldo’s opening goal in a 6–0 win over Luxembourg. A hamstring injury sidelined him for the rest of the campaign, though Portugal completed the group with a perfect record of ten wins. Mendes was later included in the squad for the Euro 2024 finals in Germany. He started in group-stage matches against the Czech Republic and Turkey, as well as knockout stage games against Slovenia (a 3–0 win in a penalty shootout) and France (a 5–3 loss, also in a shootout).

Nuno Mendes Style of play

Nuno Mendes is recognized for his attacking prowess, speed, and technical skill, thriving as a left-sided attacking full-back or wing-back. His dynamic playstyle allows him to create opportunities both from stationary positions and during counter-attacks. He is particularly noted for his dribbling ability, precision in crossing—whether under pressure or in open space—and his physical attributes, which enable him to outpace or outmuscle opponents.

Despite his offensive strengths, Mendes has faced criticism for occasional lapses in the defensive aspects of his game. Analysts have pointed to areas needing improvement, such as his positioning, decision-making in high-pressure situations, and defensive awareness, as challenges he must overcome to become a more complete player.

Honours

Sporting CP

• Primeira Liga: 2020–21
• Taça da Liga: 2020–21
• Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2021

Paris Saint-Germain

• Ligue 1: 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24
• Coupe de France: 2023–24
• Trophée des Champions: 2022, 2024

Individual

• Primeira Liga Team of the Year: 2020–21
• IFFHS Men’s Youth (U20) World Team: 2021, 2022
• Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year: 2022–23
• UNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year: 2021–22, 2022–23