Read 3 minutesUpdated: June 29, 2026 11:24 AM IST
World Cup debutants Cape Verde’s historic qualification for the knockout stages on Saturday has been marred by an investigation into rape allegations leveled against their captain on Sunday by a Brazilian woman.
According to Brazilian news outlet Globo, forward Ryan Mendes is accused of sexually assaulting a woman who worked as a translator with the team in New Zealand during the FIFA series tournament played from March 27-30 this year.
Globo reported that the woman alleged that Mendes entered her hotel room in Oakland and physically and sexually assaulted her. The alleged incident was reported to authorities and she was investigated for sexual assault. The woman is said to have reported the incident to three Cape Verde authorities, who have not responded to the allegations.
Also read | How a coach who watched Maradona on village TV led Cape Verde to the knockout stages
Soccer’s world body, FIFA, said in a statement to USA Today that “any allegations of misconduct” would be taken seriously and that it was in contact with New Zealand authorities. “Please understand that we cannot comment further at this stage,” FIFA said in a statement.
The 36-year-old Mendes, who played in all three group-stage matches at the World Cup, featured in all 17 minutes in the group stage. Since making his national debut, Mendes has won 100 international caps and scored 22 goals. Having spent most of his professional career in France and the UAE Pro League, Mendes currently represents Turkish second division club Igdir.
Cape Verde’s qualification has been one of the heartwarming stories of the World Cup’s expanded 48-team pool. Cape Verde, an archipelago of 10 volcanic islands off the coast of West Africa, qualified for the World Cup knockouts at the first attempt by finishing second in Group H.
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They became the smallest nation in terms of size and population to qualify for the knockout stages of the World Cup, pushing Uruguay to third place less than eight months after making it to the game’s grandest stage.
The Blue Sharks were then drawn to face world champions Argentina in a Round of 32 match at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Friday.