Nuno Mendes: The boy who treats scouts as robbers has become the "World-Yi Left"

Written by/Hanbing Portugal defeated the defending champions of the European Cup and the European League, and won the European League championship again after 6 years. Ronaldo, who scored a goal to bring the game into overtime, was the focus of traffic, but the one who won the best in the game was the left-back Nuno Mendes who was the "best edge". Salah and Saka, who dominate the right side of the Premier League, lost their color, and the number one golden boy in football, Yamal, is completely shining - this Angolan left-back who has just been crowned the "two kings of the European Championship" and is under 23 years old, has become the well-deserved "world-first left" in football.

The four European League Finals Finals have a total of 12 games since 2019. Mendes is the third defender to win the best award in the game after Ruben Dias (Portugal, 2019 finals) and Dimarco (Italy, 2023 third place), but no defender can win the best titles in the UEFA Finals and Finals like him. Nuno Mendes left-back, won two best prizes in the national team competition, which is unprecedented.

Euro League final Mendes not only completely erased Yamal's "superstar trace", but also helped Portugal equalize the score for the first time with a wonderful goal. Even Ronaldo's equalization goal in the second half also came from his unreasonable cross on the left.

Mendes contributed 7 times to win the ball, successfully passed 4 times, 3 steals, and 2 interceptions. Mendes has assisted 3 times in this group stage, assisting Ronaldo in the semi-finals and finals. In the last 10 Portuguese games, he has delivered a super answer of 1 goal and 6 assists.

Previously, Mendes showed his strength in the Champions League. His offensive data of 4 goals and 1 assist in 16 games is just his additional contribution. What is even more terrifying is his complete restrictions on his opponent's right. In the 1/8 finals, Salah "locked" to two rounds, completing a total of 12 steals and winning 21 confrontations; in the semi-finals, he successfully confronted Arsenal 14 times, 7 steals, 6 top-scoring, and three regaining the ball. He contributed 6 clearances and 1 interception at the same time, making Saka feel that "this road is blocked."

Mendes' second tackles (48 times), third interceptions (23 times), fourth (83 times), and ninth (849 times). It's really hard to imagine that such data actually came from a full-back. Mendes, who is now worth 70 million euros and is in sight of rising, uses his "Heavenly King" performance to make Paris Saint-Germain's total investment worth 45 million euros.

Mendes is a descendant of Angolan immigrants born in Lisbon and grew up in a poor community along the Sintra Railway. He didn't start participating in the competition until he was 9 years old and often skipped school to play football. At that time, he was discovered by the school's physical education teacher Botelle and joined a small local club. Mendes showed off his outstanding talent and quickly received the attention of the three giants in the Portuguese Super League. Although he trained in Benfica for a while, Portugal Sports scout Momad quickly poached.

Momad kept tracking Mendes after training, which made the 11-year-old boy think it was a robber and rushed home quickly. When Momad knocked on the door, Mendes, who was about to drink some cold drinks, hurriedly held his knife in case of an accident. Although he was embarrassed when he first met, he managed to convince Mendes. In the next four years, Mendes spent two hours to and from his residence and club football school every night, and after returning home, he had to practice with his physical education teacher Botleu. At the age of 14, the hardworking Mendes was finally able to live in the football school dormitory.

Mendes initially played as a No. 10 or winger, and was transformed into a left-back in the Portuguese sports echelon because the coaches believed that his speed, selfless attitude and offensive instinct could be a top full-back. But when the transformation process encountered problems, the coaches once considered giving up on him. Fortunately, Mendes is smart and hardworking enough. In 2020, he is one of the few echelon elites who were recruited into the first team by Amorin. In 2021, Mendes became the youngest player to start for Portugal Sports after Ronaldo. He is the third youngest player to score his first goal in the team history, only older than Ronaldo and Quaresma. Soon Mendes obtained a new five-year contract and a termination fee of 45 million euros, with an annual salary of 1.44 million euros.

Mendez's mother, Cesaltina, cried bitterly when she signed the new contract, because Mendez's father had just died of serious illness a year ago and could not witness his son's success. The dead father was always the driving force that drove him to work hard. Mendes said his father would be proud of himself and he would dedicate him to his father every assist, goal and victory.

The nickname for Mendes by her childhood friend and her echelon teammate is Kandimba, a child character with a restrained personality in the popular TVI TV station in Portugal. Because even though he joined Paris Saint-Germain 4 years ago and became the main force, he still likes to paint coloring books, build Lego blocks and suck his thumb while sleeping.

Mendes is now successful enough. Paris Saint-Germain has just renewed his contract for five years, allowing the young "Shi Yi Zuo" to get a high salary of 10 million euros for the first-line players in the team. His girlfriend is Brazilian model Thalyta Silva, who has been dating for more than a year. The latter also wore a Paris Saint-German jersey at the celebration dinner after winning the Paris Saint-German championship and took a photo with her boyfriend with the Champions League trophy. Mendes, who has a good harvest in career and love, has his current dream to continue to assist his idol Ronaldo and work hard for the ultimate dream of the Hercules Cup.