Cabo Verde captain Mendes under investigation over 'rape' ahead of Argentina clash
No charges have been filed, and Mendes denies all allegations publicly; he remains presumed innocent while police inquiries continue.
Cabo Verde's historic Fifa World Cup campaign has been overshadowed by an unexpected incident after their captain Ryan Mendes became the subject of a rape investigation by New Zealand Police.
The allegation was first reported by Brazilian outlet Globo Esporte, which said the complaint relates to an incident that allegedly took place in March this year during Cabo Verde's participation in the Fifa Series in Auckland.
New Zealand Police have confirmed that an investigation is ongoing, but no criminal charges have been filed against Mendes. He is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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According to Globo Esporte, the complainant is a Brazilian woman living in New Zealand who was employed by New Zealand Football as an interpreter and operational liaison for the Cabo Verde delegation during the tournament.
The complaint alleges that following Cabo Verde's friendly match against Chile, the woman attended what she believed to be a work-related meeting at the team hotel. After realising it was a social gathering, she returned to her room.
She alleges that Mendes later entered her room without permission, physically assaulted her and raped her.
According to the report, the woman submitted a detailed statement to police, along with photographs documenting her injuries and medical records.
She also reportedly underwent forensic examinations and received medical and psychological support following the alleged incident.
New Zealand Police confirmed that the complaint, which was filed in April, remains under active investigation.
Authorities have reportedly secured CCTV footage from the Auckland hotel and are awaiting the results of forensic examinations as part of the inquiry.
Police have not publicly identified a suspect, and no arrests or formal charges have been announced.
Fifa has issued a statement on the matter, emphasising it takes any allegation of misconduct seriously and is in contact with the New Zealand authorities. "Please understand we cannot comment further at this stage," Fifa was quoted as saying to USA Today.
Despite the ongoing investigation, Mendes has remained with the Cabo Verde squad and has captained the team during the nation's breakthrough World Cup campaign.
Cabo Verde reached the knockout stage of the Fifa World Cup for the first time in their history and are scheduled to face defending champions Argentina in the round of 32.
