Overview
- A Brazilian interpreter who worked with Cape Verde says Ryan Mendes assaulted and raped her in Auckland during a March 2026 team tour and has filed a criminal complaint.
- Newspaper reporting says New Zealand police opened an inquiry into the allegation on April 10, 2026, but no public criminal charges have been announced.
- The complainant supplied photographs of bruises and a medical report that documents genital lesions and multiple bruises, according to the published accounts.
- The complainant and her husband sent extrajudicial notices on May 10 requesting Mendes' exclusion from the World Cup to the Cape Verde federation and FIFA and say they received no public response.
- Despite the reports, Mendes started and captained all three of Cape Verde’s World Cup group matches, a fact that has prompted scrutiny of federation safeguarding and what actions FIFA may take next.