Claudio Mendes

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Claudio Mendes

| image =

| fullname = Claudio Mendes Vicente

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|2000|12|8}}

| birth_place = Arrecife, Spain

| height = 1.86m

| currentclub = Casa Pia

| clubnumber = 99

| position = Winger

| youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Torrelavega

| youthyears2 = | youthclubs2 = Orientación Marítima

| years1 = 2019–2020 | clubs1 = Las Palmas C | caps1 = 21 | goals1 = 1

| years2 = 2019–2021 | clubs2 = Las Palmas B | caps2 = 8 | goals2 = 2

| years3 = 2020–2023 | clubs3 = Las Palmas | caps3 = 24 | goals3 = 1

| years4 = 2022 | clubs4 = → Rayo Majadahonda (loan) | caps4 = 12 | goals4 = 3

| years5 = 2022–2023 | clubs5 = → Logroñés (loan) | caps5 = 33 | goals5 = 4

| years6 = 2023–2024 | clubs6 = Cornellà | caps6 = 29 | goals6 = 7

| years7 = 2024– | clubs7 = Casa Pia | caps7 = 0 | goals7 = 0

| nationalyears1 = 2018 | nationalteam1 = Guinea-Bissau U17 | nationalcaps1 = 1 | nationalgoals1 = 1

| club-update = 15 July 2024

| ntupdate =

}}

Claudio Mendes Vicente (born 8 December 2000) is a professional footballer who plays as a left winger for Primeira Liga club Casa Pia. Born in Spain, he represents Guinea-Bissau at youth international level.

Club career

Born in Arrecife, Lanzarote, Canary Islands to Bissau-Guinean parents,{{cite web|url=https://www.lancelotdigital.com/lanzarote/el-lanzaroteno-clau-mendes-debuta-con-la-ud-las-palmas|title=El lanzaroteño Clau Mendes debuta con la UD Las Palmas|trans-title=The lanzaroteño Clau Mendes debuts with UD Las Palmas|publisher=Lancelot Digital|language=es|date=13 June 2020|accessdate=14 June 2020}} Mendes represented SRCyD Torrelavega and CD Orientación Marítima as a youth before joining UD Las Palmas in 2019.{{cite web|url=https://www.lanzarotedeportiva.com/index.php/52-futbol/22988-clau-mendes-el-7-jugador-nacido-en-lanzarote-que-juega-con-las-palmas|title=Clau Mendes, el 7º jugador nacido en Lanzarote que juega con Las Palmas|trans-title=Clau Mendes, the 7th Lanzarote-born player who plays with Las Palmas|publisher=Lanzarote Deportiva|language=es|date=14 June 2020|accessdate=14 June 2020}} Initially assigned to the C-team in Tercera División, he made his senior debut on 31 August of that year, coming on as a half-time substitute in a 1–2 away loss against CD Buzanada.

Mendes scored his first senior goal on 7 September 2019, netting the last in a 3–0 home success over EMF Atlético Unión Güímar.{{cite web|url=https://www.tintaamarilla.es/noticia/2019/09/07/173/34306-3_0_Las_Palmas_C_acaba_con_la_pesadilla_del_gol.html|title=3–0: Las Palmas C acaba con la pesadilla del gol|trans-title=3–0: Las Palmas C end their goal nightmare|publisher=Tinta Amarilla|language=es|date=7 September 2019|accessdate=14 June 2020}} In December, he also started to feature for the reserves in Segunda División B.{{cite web|url=https://www.tintaamarilla.es/noticia/2020/06/14/212/37379-El_record_meteorico_de_Claudio_Mendes.html|title=El récord meteórico de Claudio Mendes|trans-title=The meteoric record of Claudio Mendes|publisher=Tinta Amarilla|language=es|date=14 June 2020|accessdate=14 June 2020}}

Mendes made his first team debut with the Amarillos on 13 June 2020, replacing Juanjo Narváez late into a 0–0 Segunda División home draw against Girona FC;{{cite web|url=https://www.marca.com/futbol/segunda-division/cronica/2020/06/13/5ee5209846163faeb78b4579.html|title=Las Palmas-Girona, un partido sin público y sin fútbol|trans-title=Las Palmas-Girona, a match without attendance and without football|publisher=Marca|language=es|date=13 June 2020|accessdate=14 June 2020}} aged 19 years and 188 days, he became the third-youngest debutant of the club's history who was born in the isle of Lanzarote, only behind Sito and Antonio Betancort's debuts.{{cite web|url=https://www.tintaamarilla.es/noticia/2020/06/13/155/37374-Claudio_Mendes__el_nuevo_testigo_de_Lanzarote.html|title=Claudio Mendes, el nuevo testigo de Lanzarote|trans-title=Claudio Mendes, the new token of Lanzarote|publisher=Tinta Amarilla|language=es|date=13 June 2020|accessdate=14 June 2020}}

Mendes scored his first professional goal on 20 September 2020, netting a last-minute equalizer in a 3–3 home draw against CF Fuenlabrada.{{cite web|url=https://as.com/futbol/2020/09/20/segunda/1600633930_985302.html|title=Kante y Clau Mendes exprimen un partido de locura|trans-title=Kante and Clau Mendes squeeze a crazy match|publisher=Diario AS|language=es|date=20 September 2020|accessdate=8 January 2021}} On 25 January 2022, after being rarely used, he was loaned to Primera División RFEF side CF Rayo Majadahonda for the remainder of the campaign.{{cite web|url=https://www.udlaspalmas.es/noticias/noticia/clau-mendes-cedido-al-rayo-majadahonda|title=Clau Mendes, cedido al Rayo Majadahonda|trans-title=Clau Mendes, loaned to Rayo Majadahonda|publisher=UD Las Palmas|language=es|date=25 January 2022|accessdate=25 January 2022}}

On 3 August 2022, Mendes moved to fellow third division side UD Logroñés on loan for one year.{{cite web|url=https://www.udlaspalmas.es/noticias/noticia/clau-mendes-cedido-a-la-ud-logrones|title=Clau Mendes, cedido a la UD Logroñés|trans-title=Clau Mendes, loaned to UD Logroñés|publisher=UD Las Palmas|language=es|date=3 August 2022|accessdate=8 August 2022}} On 19 July of the following year, he moved to UE Cornellà in the same tier on a permanent deal.{{cite web|url=https://www.uecornella.cat/bienvenido-clau-mendes/|title=Bienvenido, Clau Mendes|trans-title=Welcome, Clau Mendes|publisher=UE Cornellà|language=es|date=19 July 2023|accessdate=20 July 2023}}

International career

Born in Spain, Mendes is of Bissau-Guinean descent.{{cite web|url=https://www.marca.com/futbol/las-palmas/2020/05/24/5eca8da6e2704e360b8b45cf.html|title=Clau Mendes, la última perla del fútbol amarillo desde... Lanzarote|trans-title=Clau Mendes, the latest pearl of amarillo football from... Lanzarote|publisher=Marca|language=es|date=24 May 2020|accessdate=13 June 2020}} He represented the latter's under-18s for the 2019 Africa U-17 Cup of Nations qualification, scoring a goal on his debut.{{cite web|url=https://mycujoo.tv/en/view/highlight/510066?g=1bG5lSciuoeqOVipWDZQgCEPEko|title=Goal of Claudio Mendes!|via=mycujoo.tv|accessdate=13 June 2020}}

Personal life

Mendes' twin brother Leo is also a footballer. A goalkeeper, both finished their formation at Orientación before moving to different teams.{{cite web|url=https://www.tintaamarilla.es/noticia/2019/09/28/196/34542-Claudio_y_Leo_un_calco.html|title=Claudio y Leo: un calco|trans-title=Claudio and Leo: an image|publisher=Tinta Amarilla|language=es|date=28 September 2019|accessdate=14 June 2020}}