1. Early Life and Youth Career
Brais Méndez was born on 7 January 1997, in Mos, a municipality located in the province of Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain. His journey into professional football began in 2010 when he joined the youth academy (canteracanteraSpanish) of Villarreal CF. After two years with Villarreal, he returned to his home region in 2012, entering the youth setup of RC Celta de Vigo. He progressed through Celta's youth ranks for three years before making his senior professional debut.
2. Club Career
Brais Méndez's professional career began with RC Celta de Vigo's reserve team before he established himself in their senior squad. He later transferred to Real Sociedad, where he continued to develop his skills and contribute significantly in both domestic and European competitions.
2.1. Celta
Méndez made his senior debut with RC Celta de Vigo's reserves on 7 September 2014, starting in a 1-0 away victory against Real Murcia in Segunda División B. His first senior goal came on 4 September 2016, scoring his team's second goal in a 3-1 win at CD Palencia.
After spending the entire preseason with the main squad, Méndez signed a contract extension until 2021 on 21 August 2017. He then made his professional and La Liga debut on 21 September 2017, starting in a 1-1 home draw against Getafe CF. His first goal in the top flight occurred on 31 March 2018, an equalizer in a 1-1 away draw with Athletic Bilbao.
On 30 July 2020, Méndez further extended his contract with Celta until 2024. The ensuing 2020-21 season proved to be his most productive period at the club, as he scored nine goals. This included a notable performance on 20 December, where he netted both goals in a home victory over Deportivo Alavés at Balaídos.
2.2. Real Sociedad
On 6 July 2022, Real Sociedad reached an agreement with Celta for the transfer of Brais Méndez, with the player signing a contract that would keep him at the club until 2028. His impact was immediate, particularly in European competitions.
On his European debut on 8 September, Méndez scored the only goal from a penalty to secure a 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford during the group stage of the 2022-23 UEFA Europa League. This goal contributed to him becoming the team's top scorer in the UEFA Europa League during that campaign. He also marked his first appearance in the UEFA Champions League with a goal, opening the scoring in an eventual 1-1 home draw against Inter Milan on 20 September 2023, in the group phase of the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League.
3. International Career
Brais Méndez has represented Spain at various youth levels, including the under-17, under-18, and under-21 teams.
He received his first call-up to the senior Spain national team on 8 November 2018, for matches against Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. His senior debut came in the friendly match against Bosnia and Herzegovina on 18 November 2018, in Las Palmas. He entered the game as a 59th-minute substitute for Suso and scored the only goal in Spain's 1-0 victory.
In 2021, ahead of UEFA Euro 2020, Méndez was called up as a reserve training member for the national team. This came after team captain Sergio Busquets tested positive for COVID-19, leading to the team undergoing isolation measures. He joined Kepa Arrizabalaga, Raúl Albiol, Carlos Soler, Pablo Fornals, and Rodrigo as additional players to ensure training continuity.
4. Personal Life
Brais Méndez comes from a footballing family. His father, Modesto Méndez, who was known by the nickname Pupi, also played as a professional footballer. A forward, Modesto appeared in one Segunda División match for Deportivo de La Coruña.
5. Career Statistics
This section provides a detailed overview of Brais Méndez's career statistics, encompassing his performances for various clubs and the Spain national team.
5.1. 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 | 0 | 38 | 6 | ||||
| 2017-18 | 10 | 2 | - | - | 4 | 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 | 2 | - | 47 | 11 | |
| 2023-24 | 32 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 3 | - | 44 | 8 | |||
| 2024-25 | 21 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 2 | - | 36 | 8 | |||
| Total | 87 | 16 | 15 | 4 | 25 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 127 | 27 | ||
| Career total | 296 | 44 | 28 | 6 | 25 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 355 | 57 | ||
5.2. International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 2018 | 1 | 1 |
| 2021 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 4 | 1 | |
:Spain score listed first, score column indicates score after each Méndez goal.
| 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 |