Brais_Méndez
Brais Méndez
Spanish footballer (born 1997)
Brais Méndez Portela (born 7 January 1997) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for La Liga club Real Sociedad and the Spain national team.
|
Méndez with Celta in 2018 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Brais Méndez Portela[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1997-01-07) 7 January 1997 (age 27)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Mos, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Real Sociedad | ||
| Number | 23 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2001–2002 | Sárdoma | ||
| 2002–2010 | Santa Mariña | ||
| 2010–2012 | Villarreal | ||
| 2012–2015 | Celta | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2014–2017 | Celta B | 56 | (8) |
| 2017–2022 | Celta | 153 | (20) |
| 2022– | Real Sociedad | 61 | (11) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2014 | Spain U17 | 3 | (0) |
| 2015 | Spain U18 | 2 | (0) |
| 2018 | Spain U21 | 2 | (0) |
| 2018– | Spain | 4 | (1) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:10, 15 March 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 14 November 2021 | |||
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Celta
Born in Mos, Pontevedra, Galicia, Méndez joined RC Celta de Vigo's youth setup in 2012, from Villarreal CF.[2] On 7 September 2014, he made his senior debut with the reserves, starting in a 1–0 Segunda División B away win against Real Murcia.[3]
Méndez scored his first senior goal on 4 September 2016, netting his team's second in a 3–1 victory at CD Palencia.[4] The following 21 August, after spending the whole preseason with the main squad, he renewed his contract until 2021.[5]
On 21 September 2017, Méndez made his professional – and La Liga – debut, starting in the 1–1 home draw against Getafe CF.[6] He scored his first goal in the competition on 31 March 2018, equalising a 1–1 away draw with Athletic Bilbao.[7]
On 30 July 2020, Méndez extended his contract until 2024.[8] The ensuing season was his most prolific with nine goals,[9] including both in a win over Deportivo Alavés at Balaídos on 20 December.[10]
Real Sociedad
On 6 July 2022, Real Sociedad reached an agreement with Celta for the transfer of Méndez, with the player signing a contract until 2028.[11] On his European debut on 8 September, he scored the only goal to help defeat Manchester United at Old Trafford in the group stage of the UEFA Europa League, through a penalty.[12]
Méndez also scored in his maiden appearance in the UEFA Champions League, opening an eventual 1–1 home draw against Inter Milan on 20 September 2023 in the group phase.[13]
After playing for Spain at under-17, under-18 and under-21 levels, Méndez was first called by the full side on 8 November 2018 for matches against Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.[14] He made his debut in the latter fixture, coming on as a 59th-minute substitute for Suso in the 1–0 friendly win in Las Palmas and scoring the only goal.[15]
Méndez's father, Modesto (known as Pupi), was also a footballer. A forward, he appeared in one Segunda División match with Deportivo de La Coruña.[16][17]
Club
| Club | Season | League | Copa del Rey | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Celta B | 2014–15 | Segunda División B | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | |||
| 2015–16 | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | 7 | 0 | |||||
| 2016–17 | 36 | 6 | — | — | 2[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 38 | 6 | ||||
| 2017–18 | 10 | 2 | — | — | 4[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 14 | 2 | ||||
| Total | 56 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 62 | 8 | ||
| Celta | 2017–18 | La Liga | 20 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 24 | 1 | ||
| 2018–19 | 31 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 32 | 6 | ||||
| 2019–20 | 31 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 34 | 1 | ||||
| 2020–21 | 34 | 9 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 36 | 9 | ||||
| 2021–22 | 37 | 4 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 40 | 5 | ||||
| Total | 153 | 20 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 166 | 22 | ||
| Real Sociedad | 2022–23 | La Liga | 34 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 8[lower-alpha 2] | 2 | — | 47 | 11 | |
| 2023–24 | 27 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 7[lower-alpha 3] | 3 | — | 39 | 6 | |||
| Total | 61 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 86 | 17 | ||
| Career total | 270 | 39 | 23 | 3 | 15 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 314 | 47 | ||
- Appearances in Segunda División B play-offs
- Appearances in UEFA Europa League
- Appearances in UEFA Champions League
International
- As of match played 14 November 2021[20]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 2018 | 1 | 1 |
| 2021 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 4 | 1 | |
- As of 18 November 2018. Spain score listed first, score column indicates score after each Méndez goal.[15][20]
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 18 November 2018 | Estadio Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, Spain |  Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
- "Brais Méndez Portela". Real Sociedad. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
- Carballo, Berto (26 February 2015). "Brais Méndez, la zurda de oro de A Madroa" [Brais Méndez, the golden left foot from A Madroa] (in Spanish). Canteira Celeste. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
- "Al Celta B le basta con un gol" [A goal is enough for Celta B]. La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). 8 September 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
- "El Celta B logra en Palencia el primer triunfo de la temporada" [Celta B get in Palencia their first triumph of the season]. Faro de Vigo (in Spanish). 4 September 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
- Garrido, Clemente (21 August 2017). "Brais Méndez amplía cuatro años su contrato con el Celta" [Brais Méndez extends four years his contract with Celta]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 September 2017.
- García, Óscar (21 September 2017). "Ángel se cuela en la fiesta de Maxi" [Ángel crashes Maxi's party]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 September 2017.
- Carnerero, Fernando (31 March 2018). "Al Athletic le sobró el añadido" [Athletic did not need the stoppage time]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 April 2018.
- Garrido, Clemente (30 July 2020). "Oficial: Brais Méndez renueva con el Celta hasta 2024" [Official: Brais Méndez renews with Celta until 2024]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 May 2022.
- "Brais Méndez, 150 veces celeste" [Brais Méndez, 150 times sky blue]. La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). 24 January 2022. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
- "Brais Méndez: "Estamos en un gran momento, tenemos que aprovecharlo"" [Brais Méndez: "We're in a great moment, we have to make the most of it"]. Faro de Vigo (in Spanish). 20 December 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
- "Brais es txuri urdin" [Brais is txuri urdin] (in Spanish). Real Sociedad. 6 July 2022. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
- Stone, Simon (8 September 2022). "Manchester United 0–1 Real Sociedad". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
- Mejías, Noelia (20 September 2023). "Definición de nota para estrenarse en Champions: el gol de Brais Méndez" [Top-notch finish in his Champions debut: Brais Méndez's goal] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
- Maroto, Joaquín (8 November 2018). "Jordi Alba recalled by Spain; Brais, Hermoso and Fornals make the list". Diario AS. Archived from the original on 15 March 2021. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
- Bell, Arch (18 November 2018). "Spain edge Bosnia to end 2018". Marca. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
- "El día en que el padre de Brais Méndez defendió la camiseta del Deportivo" [The day Brais Méndez's father donned the shirt of Deportivo]. La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). 21 December 2017. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
- Cudeiro, Juan Luis (8 November 2018). "Brais Méndez, seda celeste para La Roja" [Brais Méndez, sky-blue silk for La Roja]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 November 2018.
- Brais Méndez at BDFutbol
- Brais Méndez at Soccerway
- "Brais Méndez". EU-Football.info. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
- Brais Méndez at BDFutbol
- Brais Méndez at National-Football-Teams.com