Ryan Mendes, the captain of Cape Verde’s national football team, is under investigation by New Zealand police following an allegation of rape made by a Brazilian woman who worked as an interpreter for the squad. The incident is said to have occurred on 27 March in Auckland, after Cape Verde lost a friendly match against Chile. The accuser, who has not been named, filed a formal complaint with local authorities on 10 April, according to multiple media reports.

Medical records reviewed by Brazilian news outlet Globo Esporte and cited by international media indicate that the woman was examined at a clinic specialised in sexual violence. The forensic report documented bruising to her neck, breasts and legs, as well as genital lesions consistent with her account. Photographs of her injuries were also submitted to the police. The woman told investigators that Mendes forced his way into her hotel room, choked her, punched her, bit her and raped her after she had declined to attend a social gathering with the team.

New Zealand police confirmed that an investigation was registered in central Auckland on that date, but declined to provide further details citing privacy laws. FIFA, in a statement carried by Brazilian and European media, said it takes all allegations of misconduct “extremely seriously” and is in contact with New Zealand authorities. The Cape Verdean Football Federation has not publicly commented on the case, though the accuser claims she and her husband sent notifications to both FIFA and the federation on 10 May requesting Mendes’s exclusion from the World Cup, without receiving a response.

Mendes, 36, is Cape Verde’s most-capped player and all-time top scorer. He has played in all three group-stage matches of the 2026 World Cup, helping the island nation reach the knockout rounds for the first time. The allegations surfaced just days before Cape Verde’s last-16 fixture against Argentina in Miami. No formal charges have been filed, and Mendes has made no public statement on the matter. The investigation remains ongoing.