Ryan Mendes

Ryan Mendes
Mendes playing for Lille in 2014
Personal information
Full name Ryan Isaac Mendes da Graça
Date of birth (1990-01-08) 8 January 1990
Place of birth Mindelo, Cape Verde
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position Winger
Team information
Current team
Iğdır
Number 20
Youth career
Batuque FC
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008–2012 Le Havre 84 (20)
2010 Le Havre II 1 (0)
2012–2017 Lille 54 (7)
2014–2016 Lille II 2 (1)
2015–2016Nottingham Forest (loan) 35 (2)
2017–2018 Kayserispor 39 (5)
2018–2020 Sharjah 44 (20)
2020–2023 Al Nasr 68 (15)
2023–2024 Fatih Karagümrük 23 (4)
2024–2025 Kocaelispor 39 (12)
2025– Iğdır 20 (2)
International career
2006 Cape Verde U16 9 (2)
2007 Cape Verde U21 8 (1)
2010– Cape Verde 94 (22)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 12 March 2026 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals as of 23:41, 17 November 2025 (UTC)

Ryan Isaac Mendes da Graça (born 8 January 1990) is a Cape Verdean professional footballer who plays as a winger for TFF 1. Lig club Iğdır and the Cape Verde national team.

He spent most of his club career in France with Le Havre and Lille, and in the UAE Pro League with Sharjah and Al-Nasr. He also had brief spells in England's Championship with Nottingham Forest, and the Turkish Süper Lig with Kayserispor and Fatih Karagümrük.

Mendes made his senior international debut for Cape Verde in 2010, earning over 90 caps. He represented the nation at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2013, 2015, 2021 and 2023.

He is Cape Verde’s most capped player and top goalscorer.