Cape Verde national team captain and striker Ryan Mendes is under investigation on suspicion of raping a Brazilian woman, GE reports .
The investigation is being conducted by New Zealand police, where the incident occurred. The Cape Verdean national team was in New Zealand in March 2026. The Brazilian was at the scene under contract with the New Zealand Football Federation as a translator for Cape Verde.
The victim claims Mendes entered her room, attacked her, choked her, hit and bit her while she tried to defend herself, and raped her.
Mendes played three matches at the 2026 World Cup without scoring. Cape Verde will face Argentina in the Round of 32 .
The FIFA World Cup kicked off on June 11 and will run until July 19 in the United States , Mexico , and Canada . The reigning champions, Argentina, defeated France in the 2022 final .