Pedro Mendes (footballer, born October 1990)
Portuguese footballer (born 1990)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pedro Filipe Teodósio Mendes (born 1 October 1990) is a former professional footballer who played as a central defender. Born in Switzerland, he represented Portugal internationally.
|
Mendes with Rennes in 2015 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Pedro Filipe Teodósio Mendes[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 1 October 1990[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Neuchâtel, Switzerland | ||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[1] | ||
| Position | Centre-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1998–2005 | Real Massamá | ||
| 2005–2009 | Sporting CP | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2009–2013 | Sporting CP | 3 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | → Real Massamá (loan) | 22 | (0) |
| 2010–2011 | → Servette (loan) | 15 | (0) |
| 2011–2012 | → Real Madrid B (loan) | 23 | (1) |
| 2011 | → Real Madrid (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 2012–2013 | Sporting CP B | 31 | (1) |
| 2013–2014 | Parma | 6 | (0) |
| 2014 | Sassuolo | 9 | (0) |
| 2014–2015 | Parma | 21 | (0) |
| 2015–2017 | Rennes | 41 | (0) |
| 2017–2023 | Montpellier | 105 | (5) |
| 2021–2023 | Montpellier B | 4 | (0) |
| 2023–2024 | Estrela Amadora | 13 | (0) |
| 2025–2026 | Dila | 22 | (1) |
| 2026 | Feirense | 5 | (0) |
| Total | 320 | (8) | |
| International career | |||
| 2006–2007 | Portugal U17 | 10 | (0) |
| 2007–2008 | Portugal U18 | 6 | (0) |
| 2008–2009 | Portugal U19 | 16 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | Portugal U20 | 5 | (0) |
| 2011–2012 | Portugal U21 | 13 | (1) |
| 2018 | Portugal | 1 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Club career
Sporting CP
Born in Neuchâtel, Switzerland to Portuguese parents,[2] Mendes reached Sporting CP's youth system in 2005, aged 14. In his first two senior seasons he played with Real SC (third division) and Servette FC (Swiss Challenge League),[3] in both cases on loan, helping the latter club to promotion.
In the summer of 2011, still owned by Sporting, Mendes joined Real Madrid, being assigned to the B team.[4] He made his debut with the main squad on 7 December, coming on as a substitute for Álvaro Arbeloa midway through the second half of a 3–0 away win against AFC Ajax in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League;[5] during his spell at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, several of his Castilla teammates expressed their dissatisfaction over what they saw as a preferential treatment by first-team manager José Mourinho, the player's compatriot.[6]
Mendes played his first match in the Primeira Liga with Sporting on 27 January 2013, when he replaced the injured Khalid Boulahrouz at half-time of the 1–1 home draw with Vitória de Guimarães.[7][8]
Parma
Returning to Sporting for the 2012–13 campaign, Mendes was made captain of the reserves who competed in the Segunda Liga, also appearing sporadically for the main squad.[9][8] On 28 May 2013, he signed a five-year contract with Parma F.C. in Serie A as a free agent.[10]
On 21 January 2014, Mendes moved to fellow top-tier club US Sassuolo Calcio in a co-ownership deal with Parma.[11] In June he was bought by the latter, who sold Raman Chibsah and Nicola Sansone to the former on the same day.[12]
Rennes
Mendes joined Stade Rennais F.C. of France on 6 July 2015, after agreeing to a four-year contract.[13] He made his debut in Ligue 1 on 8 August, in a 2–1 away loss to SC Bastia.[14]
Montpellier
On 18 July 2017, Mendes signed with Montpellier HSC of the same league.[15][16] He first appeared for them on 5 August, playing the entire 1–0 home victory over Stade Malherbe Caen,[17] and scored his first goal on 16 September by heading from the corner kick as the visitors defeated ES Troyes AC by the same score.[18]
Mendes became a key part of Michel Der Zakarian's resolute Montpellier side over the following seasons, partnering veterans Daniel Congré and Hilton in a three-man central defence.[19] In October 2018, he extended his contract for two more years up to 2023.[20]
Mendes featured rarely in his final two years at the Stade de la Mosson, due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury contracted in April 2021.[21] In an interview to Portuguese website Zerozero, he blasted the club's medical staff over his recovery process.[22]
Later career
On 24 August 2023, Mendes returned to Portugal one decade after leaving, joining C.F. Estrela da Amadora who had just returned to the top flight following a lengthy absence;[23] the terms of the deal were not disclosed.[24] In June 2024, he left.[25]
In February 2025, Mendes moved to the Georgian Erovnuli Liga with FC Dila Gori.[26] Eleven months later, the 35-year-old joined Portuguese second-tier side C.D. Feirense on a contract until the end of the season.[27]
Mendes announced his retirement in July 2026.[28]
International career
Mendes won exactly 50 caps for Portugal at youth level, including 13 for the under-21 team for whom he scored in a 1–1 home draw against Poland for the 2013 UEFA European Championship qualifiers.[29] He made his only full appearance on 14 October 2018, when he replaced S.L. Benfica's Rúben Dias in the 56th minute of the 3–1 friendly win over Scotland at Hampden Park.[30]
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Real Massamá (loan) | 2009–10 | Segunda Divisão | 22 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 24 | 1 | ||
| Servette (loan) | 2010–11 | Challenge League | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 15 | 0 | ||
| Real Madrid B (loan) | 2011–12 | Segunda División B | 23 | 1 | — | — | — | 23 | 1 | |||
| Real Madrid (loan) | 2011–12 | La Liga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1[c] | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Sporting CP | 2012–13 | Primeira Liga | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Sporting CP B | 2012–13 | Segunda Liga | 31 | 1 | — | — | — | 31 | 1 | |||
| Parma | 2013–14 | Serie A | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 8 | 0 | ||
| Sassuolo | 2013–14 | Serie A | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 0 | ||
| Parma | 2014–15 | Serie A | 21 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 23 | 0 | ||
| Rennes | 2015–16 | Ligue 1 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 24 | 0 | |
| 2016–17 | Ligue 1 | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 20 | 0 | ||
| Total | 41 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 44 | 0 | |||
| Montpellier | 2017–18 | Ligue 1 | 34 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 39 | 1 | |
| 2018–19 | Ligue 1 | 31 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 32 | 1 | ||
| 2019–20 | Ligue 1 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 18 | 1 | ||
| 2020–21 | Ligue 1 | 22 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 24 | 2 | |||
| 2021–22 | Ligue 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2022–23 | Ligue 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| Total | 105 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 115 | 5 | |||
| Montpellier B | 2021–22 | Championnat National 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2022–23 | Championnat National 3 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | |||||
| Estrela Amadora | 2023–24 | Primeira Liga | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 13 | 0 | |
| Dila | 2025 | Erovnuli Liga | 22 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 25 | 1 | |
| Career total | 315 | 8 | 15 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 338 | 9 | ||
- Includes Taça de Portugal, Coppa Italia and Coupe de France
- Includes Coupe de la Ligue
- Appearance in UEFA Champions League
