The captain of the Cape Verdean national soccer team has been accused of rape by a translator who was hired during the team's trip to New Zealand. Ryan Mendes, 36, who has played in all three of his country's World Cup matches, is alleged to have assaulted a Brazilian woman in March.
According to reports from Brazilian outlet Globo, the alleged incident occurred after a match in Auckland. The woman stated she was invited to a hotel room designated for the national team. After realizing translation services were not needed for a social gathering, she returned to her room. She reported that Mendes then entered her room, choked her, punched and bit her, before sexually assaulting her. She provided police with images of injuries to her mouth, neck, leg, and side.
The case is currently under investigation by New Zealand police. Authorities have collected security camera footage from the hotel and are awaiting forensic results to determine whether to press charges. The player's identity was initially withheld in New Zealand media reports last month.
Mendes has not yet responded to the allegations. Cape Verde's team achieved a historic milestone by reaching the knockout rounds of the World Cup, marking their best performance as the smallest nation to do so.
FIFA has stated it is in contact with New Zealand authorities and takes all allegations of misconduct seriously, though it declined to comment further on the specifics of the case or any ongoing investigations.