Ryan Mendes has 99 caps for Cape Verde, is his national team’s all-time top scorer, and this Friday could go up against Argentina in Miami. He is also under investigation for sexual abuse. 🔴
The complaint was filed by a 36-year-old Brazilian interpreter who worked with the delegation during a tour of friendlies in New Zealand. According to the police file submitted on April 10, the incident occurred on March 27 at a hotel in Auckland, on the night of the Cape Verde-Chile match. The forensic reports record bruises and injuries, and the hotel’s security cameras were seized by investigators. The victim and her husband even submitted FIFA’s official safeguarding form on May 20, requesting Mendes’s exclusion from the tournament. ⚽
FIFA stated that it is treating the case “with the utmost seriousness”. The Cape Verde Football Federation did not respond and has not issued any statement. Mendes remains with the squad and available to play. Is it possible that a player under investigation for abuse can play the most important match in his country’s history without anyone stopping him? 🤔