Josafat Wooding "Joe" Mendes (born 31 December 2002) is a Swedish professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Süper Lig club Samsunspor.
Early life Born and raised in Stockholm, Mendes started to play football as a youngster for local club AFC United, before moving to AIK at age 12. In 2020, he appeared in several friendlies for the club's first team, but did not feature in any competitive games.
Club career Hammarby IF In 2021, Mendes joined Hammarby Talang FF in Ettan, Sweden's third division. During the first half of the season, he scored once in 12 league appearances, while also providing six assists.
On 19 July 2021, Mendes was promoted to their parent club Hammarby IF in Allsvenskan, the domestic first tier, signing a two-year deal. He made his competitive debut only days later, on 22 July, coming on as a substitute in a 3–1 home win against Maribor in the UEFA Europa Conference League.
Return to AIK On 21 December 2021, it was announced that Mendes returned to his former club AIK, in an undisclosed deal between the two rival clubs. He signed a four-year contract with the Allsvenskan club, effective in January 2022.
Braga On 28 January 2023, Portuguese side Braga announced the signing of Mendes on a five-and-a-half-year contract.
Loan to Basel On 2 September 2024, Mendes joined Swiss club Basel on a season-long loan with an option to buy.
Samsunspor On 10 July 2025, Mendes signed a five-year contract with Süper Lig club Samsunspor for a fee of €1.2 million, which could rise to €1.5 million with add-ons.
International career
In 2018, Mendes won two caps for the Swedish U17 national team, playing in two friendlies against Belgium and Czech Republic. He made his full international debut for Sweden on 12 January 2023 in a friendly 2–1 win against Iceland.
Personal life Born in Sweden, Mendes is of DR Congolese and Angolan descent. He is the cousin of the Swedish footballer Jardell Kanga.
Career statistics Club
+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueNational cupLeague cupEuropeTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsHammarby Talang FF2021Ettan26400——264Hammarby IF2021Allsvenskan0010—1020AIK2022Allsvenskan24040—002802023Allsvenskan0010—6181Total24050—61361Braga2022–23Primeira Liga41100010612023–24Primeira Liga1700020802702024–25Primeira Liga3000001040Total2411020100371Career total74670201711017
International +Appearances and goals by national team and yearNational teamYearAppsGoalsSweden202310Total10
Honours Braga
Taça da Liga: 2023–24
Basel
Swiss Super League: 2024–25 Swiss Cup: 2024–25
References
External links