Jorge Mendes is a football agent from Portugal. After working as a DJ, he founded Gestifute in his native Portugal in 1996.
Mendes now represents some of the world’s finest players, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Bernardo Silva, and Diego Costa. Outside of football, he represents Formula 1 driver Charles Leclerc, cyclist Joao Almeida, tennis star Joao Sousa, triple jump champion Patricia Mamona, and surfer Frederico Morais.
Early life
Jorge Paulo Agostinho Mendes was born in Lisbon, Portugal on January 7, 1966. Mendes had a keen interest in football and was determined to pursue it. However, his dream of football came to an end when he was rejected from football clubs in Portugal. Following that, he started his nightclub in the city.
Career
Mendes made his first appearance as a football agent in 1996, when he negotiated for Nuno, a Portuguese footballer, to transfer from Vitoria de Guimaraes to Deportivo de La Coruna. Following the success of his first deal, he continued to attract other players and rapidly rose to the top of the rankings.
Cristiano Ronaldo was his most renowned client. Mendes transferred from Sporting Lisbon to Manchester United for a cost of £12.24 million in 2003. In 2004, he orchestrated Jose Mourinho’s transfer from Porto to Chelsea and was paid by Chelsea to represent both the player and the club.
Anderson and Nani were both transferred to the same club in 2007 for a fee of £46 million. Mendes also oversaw Pepe’s £25 million move to Real Madrid and Simao’s £16.5 million transfer to Atletico Madrid.
Mendes handled Jose Mourinho’s move to Inter Milan in 2008 for a fee that made him the world’s highest-paid coach. He then oversaw Mourinho’s move from Inter to Real Madrid on a four-year contract worth £40 million in May 2010. In 2009, Cristiano Ronaldo’s £80 million transfer from Manchester United to Real Madrid was believed to have netted Mendes a cool £4 million.
In 2014, he coordinated some of the world’s largest transfer deals, earning him a cool £30 million. Real Madrid paid £63 million for James Rodriguez from Monaco, Manchester United paid £60 million for Angel Di Maria, Chelsea paid £32 million for Diego Costa from Atletico Madrid, and Manchester City paid £32 million for Eliaquim Mangala from Porto.
Following Fosun International’s acquisition of Wolverhampton Wanderers, Mendes was employed as an agent for the English Championship club. He secured 12 players in six weeks during the 2016 summer transfer window with the help of team general manager Andrea Butti and sporting director Kevin Thelwell.
Mendes entered the realm of cycling in January 2021, when his sports marketing company Polaris Sports partnered with Corso Sports, promoting Portuguese cyclists Joao Almeida and Ruben Guerreiro.
Personal life
Jorge Mendes tied the knot with Sandra Mendes in 2015. The couple has three children named Beatriz Mendes, Barbara Mendes, Jorge Mendes Junior. It was reported that Ronaldo gifted a Greek Island to Mendes as a wedding gift.
Mendes is the founder of GestiFute which is a firm that looks after the transfers of footballers and other athletes. Following CAA’s development into the sports industry, GestiFute announced in 2008 that it has formed a collaboration with Creative Artists Agency (CAA) in the United States to “provide worldwide prospects for current and future clients.”
| Rеаl Nаmе/Full Nаmе | Jorge Paulo Agostinho Mendes |
| Nісk Nаmе/Сеlеbrаtеd Nаmе | Jorge Mendes |
| Віrth Рlасе | Lisbon, Portugal |
| Dаtе оf Віrth/Віrthdау | 7 January 1966 |
| Аgе/Ноw Оld | 55 years old |
| Неіght/Ноw Таll | Іn Сеntіmеtеrѕ – 178 cm Іn Fееt аnd Іnсhеѕ – 5′ 8″ |
| Wеіght | Іn Кіlоgrаmѕ – 75 Kg Іn Роundѕ – 165 lbs |
| Раrеntѕ Nаmе | Fаthеr – Manuel Cabanas Моthеr – Maria Boa Hora Grosso Agostinho |
| Ѕіblіngѕ | N/A |
| Nаtіоnаlіtу | Роrtuguеѕе |
| Маrіtаl Ѕtаtuѕ | Married |
| Wife | Sandra Mendes |
| Кіdѕ/Сhіldrеn Nаmе | Beatriz Mendes, Barbara Mendes, Jorge Mendes Junior. |
| Рrоfеѕѕіоn | Football agent and entrepreneur |
| Nеt Wоrth | $130 mіllіоn |
| Lаѕt Uрdаtеd | Јuly 2021 |
Net worth
Mendes is one of the most successful and influential football agents in the world. He has been responsible for over $2 billion worth of transfers. It is rumoured that he earns 10 percent of the total transfer fees. He has an elite clientele which includes Diego Costa, Jose Mourinho, Angel Di Maria, Radamel Falcao, Cristiano Ronaldo, Victor Valdes, James Rodriguez, David de Gea, and many more. His influence has spread worldwide including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and Spain.
Mendes’ primary source of income is from his career as a sports agent. He also heads his company known as Gestifute. His net worth is estimated to be approximately $130 million as of 2021.
Awards
Mendes received the Best Agent in the World award from the Globe Soccer Awards consecutively from 2010- 2020. It was estimated that his Portugal-based company Gestifute International had managed to pull of roughly 190 contracts for players and coaches back in 2017. These contracts were estimated to be worth $768.2 million.
In 2015, his company was placed in the seventh position in the Most Valuable Sports Agencies by Forbes. In 2020, it was reported that Gestifute had contracts worth $1 billion in its portfolio with a commission worth $104 million.
Controversies
On September 22, 2014, The Guardian published an investigation that accused Jorge Mendes and ex-Manchester United and Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon of violating FIFA regulations regarding third-party ownership and conflict of interest in player representation by purchasing player rights through companies based in Jersey and Ireland.
This followed another story in January 2014 that said Kenyon’s former club Chelsea had invested in third-party ownership through Mendes and Kenyon, a practice prohibited by the Premier League. Chelsea did not respond to the allegations. On September 23, 2014, UEFA stated its desire to crack down on third-party ownership.
Leaked documents in December 2016 claimed that Mendes was involved in a huge tax avoidance scheme, with both Mourinho and Ronaldo accused of failing to pay taxes by utilising offshore accounts.