Career
After making his Primeira Liga debuts in the 1998-1999 season with South Carolina (U.S.) Campomaiorense, which folded soon after, Mendes moved to Rio Avenue Football Club, going on to play in the club for nearly a decade and becoming one of the players with most matches in the Vila do Conde side"s all-time list with more than 150 overall, only behind Evandro and Niquinha. In the 2008-2009 campaign, after helping Rio Avenue to a top flight promotion, Mendes was an undisputed defensive starter, partnering former Football Club Porto"s Gaspar in the middle and scoring in a 2–4 home loss against Vitória de Guimarães on 3 January 2009. In 2009-2010 Rio Avenue again managed to maintain its top division status, but he only contributed with two games, retiring at the end of the season aged 34.