Paris Saint-Germain left-back Nuno Mendes has set a new Portuguese milestone in the UEFA Champions League, surpassing none other than Cristiano Ronaldo. At just 23 years and 313 days old, Mendes reached 50 appearances in Europe’s elite competition during PSG’s thrilling 5-4 victory over Bayern Munich.
This feat makes him the youngest Portuguese player to hit the half-century mark in Champions League matches, eclipsing Ronaldo, who achieved the milestone at 24 years and 83 days back in 2009. Since joining PSG in 2021, Mendes has played all 50 of those games for the Parisian club.
The overall youngest player to reach 50 Champions League appearances remains England’s Jude Bellingham, who did so at 22 years and 128 days while playing for Real Madrid.
This season, Mendes has been a key figure for PSG, tallying 39 appearances across all competitions, with six goals and seven assists to his name. His consistent performances have cemented his status as one of Europe’s most promising full-backs.