1. Overview
Ferland Sinna Mendy, born on June 8, 1995, is a French professional footballer who primarily plays as a left-back. He is currently a key player for La Liga club Real Madrid and represents the France national team. This article details his journey from overcoming a severe childhood injury to becoming a prominent figure in European club football and an international player for France, covering his early life, extensive club career, international appearances, and career achievements.
2. Early Life and Personal Background
Ferland Sinna Mendy was born on June 8, 1995, in Meulan-en-Yvelines, France, and grew up in Ecqueville, located in the western suburbs of Paris. He is of Senegalese and Bissau-Guinean descent, having acquired French nationality on January 16, 2007, through the collective naturalization of his parents. He is a cousin of professional goalkeeper Édouard Mendy, who plays for Al-Ahli in the Saudi Professional League and represents the Senegal national team.
A significant challenge in Mendy's early life occurred at the age of 14 or 15, when he suffered a severe hip injury that confined him to a wheelchair. Doctors initially told him he might never play football again. However, after nearly a year of intensive and arduous rehabilitation, he successfully recovered and resumed his football career. Mendy is a devout Muslim, observing Ramadan and, like his former teammate Karim Benzema, chooses to avoid tattoos on his body in accordance with his religious beliefs.
3. Club Career
Ferland Mendy's club career began in youth academies, progressing through various French clubs before establishing himself as a top-tier left-back at Olympique Lyonnais and later at Real Madrid.
3.1. Youth Career
Mendy began his football development at the prestigious Paris Saint-Germain academy at the age of nine. In 2012, at the age of 17, he moved to FC Mantois, a club based in Mantes-la-Jolie, where he played for one year. In 2013, he joined the youth system of Le Havre AC, a club renowned for its player development. He played 20 matches for Le Havre's reserve team, Le Havre II, in the CFA 2 during the 2013-14 season.
3.2. Le Havre
Mendy made his senior debut for Le Havre AC in April 2015, appearing on matchday 33 of the 2014-15 Ligue 2 season. He continued to develop at the club, making 35 appearances during the 2016-17 Ligue 2 season, where his performances began to attract wider attention.
3.3. Lyon
On June 29, 2017, Mendy signed a five-year contract with Ligue 1 club Olympique Lyonnais. The transfer fee paid to Le Havre was reported to be 5.00 M EUR, with potential add-ons of up to 1.00 M EUR. At Lyon, Mendy's talent truly blossomed. He showcased remarkable attacking prowess, recording four assists in 27 appearances during the 2017-18 season. His impressive form led Lyon to extend his contract until 2023.
In the 2018-19 season, Mendy played 44 official matches, contributing three goals and three assists. His statistics during this period were particularly noteworthy; he reportedly had the second-highest dribbling success rate among all defenders in Ligue 1 and was considered the best-performing defender in the 2018-19 UEFA Champions League. His consistent and high-level performances drew the attention of major European clubs, including FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, then managed by Zinedine Zidane.
3.4. Real Madrid
On June 12, 2019, Ferland Mendy completed a transfer to La Liga giants Real Madrid, signing a six-year contract. The initial transfer fee was 48.00 M EUR, which could rise to 53.00 M EUR with performance-related add-ons. He made his debut for the club on September 1, 2019, starting in a 2-2 draw against Villarreal.
Mendy scored his first goal for Real Madrid on July 13, 2020, in a 2-1 victory over Granada. In his debut season, he made 25 league appearances, contributing to Real Madrid's triumph in the 2019-20 La Liga title. His strong physical attributes and defensive capabilities quickly earned him the trust of coach Zinedine Zidane, leading him to become a regular starter and eventually displacing long-standing left-back Marcelo.
On February 24, 2021, Mendy scored his first UEFA Champions League goal in a 1-0 away win over Atalanta in the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League round of 16. In the 2021-22 UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg against Manchester City, he made a crucial goal-line clearance in the 87th minute, preventing Jack Grealish from scoring and keeping the score at 0-1. Real Madrid ultimately won the tie 3-1 (6-5 on aggregate) after late goals and extra time, advancing to the final.
Despite his successes, Mendy has faced injury setbacks. In April 2021, he suffered from tibial periostitis, an inflammation of the shin bone, during training. Although initially expected to recover in about six weeks, the injury proved more severe, requiring nearly six months of rehabilitation. He returned to action in October 2021, notably playing in the El Clásico match against FC Barcelona.
4. International Career
Ferland Mendy has represented the France national team at the senior level, contributing to their campaigns in various international fixtures.
In November 2018, Mendy received his first call-up to the France national team. This opportunity arose after fellow left-back Benjamin Mendy (who is not related) withdrew due to injury, ahead of matches against the Netherlands and Uruguay. He made his international debut against Uruguay, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1-0 home victory. On May 16, 2024, Mendy was officially selected as part of the French squad to participate in UEFA Euro 2024.
5. Career Statistics
This section provides a comprehensive overview of Ferland Mendy's professional performance data for both his club and international career.
5.1. Club Statistics
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Le Havre II | 2013-14 | CFA 2 | 20 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 20 | 0 | ||||
| 2014-15 | CFA 2 | 23 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 23 | 0 | |||||
| 2015-16 | CFA 2 | 13 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 13 | 1 | |||||
| Total | 56 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 56 | 1 | ||||||
| Le Havre | 2014-15 | Ligue 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2015-16 | Ligue 2 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 12 | 0 | |||
| 2016-17 | Ligue 2 | 35 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 38 | 2 | |||
| Total | 47 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 51 | 2 | ||||
| Lyon | 2017-18 | Ligue 1 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | - | 35 | 0 | |
| 2018-19 | Ligue 1 | 30 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | - | 44 | 3 | ||
| Total | 57 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 0 | - | 79 | 3 | |||
| Real Madrid | 2019-20 | La Liga | 25 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 32 | 1 | |
| 2020-21 | La Liga | 26 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 2 | ||
| 2021-22 | La Liga | 22 | 2 | 1 | 0 | - | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 35 | 2 | ||
| 2022-23 | La Liga | 18 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 28 | 0 | ||
| 2023-24 | La Liga | 23 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 11 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 37 | 1 | ||
| 2024-25 | La Liga | 14 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | 9 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 28 | 0 | ||
| Total | 128 | 4 | 6 | 0 | - | 51 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 198 | 6 | |||
| Career total | 288 | 9 | 12 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 66 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 384 | 12 | ||
5.2. International Statistics
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 2018 | 1 | 0 |
| 2019 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 10 | 0 | |
6. Honours
Ferland Mendy has accumulated numerous team and individual accolades throughout his professional career, primarily with Real Madrid.
6.1. Team Honours
Real Madrid
- La Liga: 2019-20, 2021-22, 2023-24
- Copa del Rey: 2022-23
- Supercopa de España: 2020, 2022, 2024
- UEFA Champions League: 2021-22, 2023-24
- UEFA Super Cup: 2022, 2024
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2022
6.2. Individual Honours
- UNFP Ligue 2 Team of the Year: 2016-17
- UNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year: 2017-18, 2018-19