Cape Verde captain Ryan Mendes is under active police investigation in New Zealand over allegations that he raped a woman in March — and he's still on the pitch at the World Cup.
The alleged victim is a Brazilian woman who was working as a translator for the Cape Verde squad during a FIFA Series match in Auckland. She accuses Mendes of forcing his way into her hotel room and raping her. New Zealand Police have confirmed the investigation is ongoing. No charges have been filed.
What this means with Argentina up next
Cape Verde — who went unbeaten through the group stage, finishing 0-3-0 to advance — face defending champions Argentina on Friday at 6 p.m. ET in Miami. Mendes, the nation's all-time leading scorer, played 251 minutes across those three group games. He is expected to feature.
That's the uncomfortable reality here. An active police investigation into the team's captain and talisman, and the football goes on.
FIFA's response was predictably procedural. "FIFA takes any allegation of misconduct extremely seriously," a spokesperson said, before adding that the organization is "in contact with the New Zealand authorities" and cannot comment further. That statement does precisely nothing. It acknowledges the situation without addressing it, which is FIFA's specialty.
Whether Cape Verde's federation has taken any internal action is unclear. What is clear is that Mendes has been on the field for every minute that mattered in this tournament, and nothing publicly suggests that's about to change.
Anyone pricing up Cape Verde against Argentina would already be looking at long odds. This situation adds a layer of uncertainty that goes beyond tactics — a captain potentially distracted, a squad potentially fractured, and a cloud over the entire camp that won't lift regardless of the final score. Cape Verde's chances of causing an upset against a World Cup-winning side just got harder to assess, for reasons that have nothing to do with football.
New Zealand Police confirmed the investigation is ongoing.
