She first played for UD Ponte Frielas and SU 1º de Dezembro of the National Football Championship.
[4] In 2013, she moved to Italy's ASD Riviera di Romagna, and the next year she signed for WFC Rossiyanka in Russia.
[5] Mendes made her debut for the senior Portugal national team in March 2007, as a substitute in a 1–1 draw with Ireland at the 2007 Algarve Cup.
She was named by coach Francisco Neto in the Portugal squad for UEFA Women's Euro 2017 in the Netherlands.
In Portugal's 2–1 win over Scotland, Mendes scored the national team's first-ever goal at major international tournament finals.