At 22, he had no club. Édouard Mendy, a goalkeeper born in France to a Senegalese father and a Guinea-Bissauan mother, was released and spent a year without a team, claiming unemployment benefit while he kept training. In 2021, he won the Champions League with Chelsea and was named the world’s best goalkeeper. A few months later, he lifted the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal.
A year without a club and Chelsea
Mendy was born in 1992 in Montivilliers, near Le Havre. He played for lower-league French clubs, including Cherbourg, but his career stalled. In 2014, after his contract ended, Mendy could not find a new club. He trained alone and considered quitting football. A former teammate helped him get a trial as a reserve goalkeeper at Marseille. He moved to Reims, where he became first choice and helped the club win promotion to Ligue 1. In 2019 he joined Rennes, impressing in the league and Champions League.
Chelsea signed Mendy in September 2020. He quickly displaced Kepa Arrizabalaga as first-choice keeper.
The Champions League and Senegal
In May 2021, Mendy kept a clean sheet in the Champions League final as Chelsea beat Manchester City 1-0 in Porto. He set a record for clean sheets in a debut Champions League season. In January 2022, he won The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper award, becoming the first African goalkeeper to receive it. Mendy chose to play for Senegal. In February 2022, he was in goal as Senegal beat Egypt on penalties to win their first AFCON, and he was named goalkeeper of the tournament.
He played for Senegal at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where they reached the round of 16.
Saudi Arabia and persistence
In 2023, he joined Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia, where he won the AFC Champions League Elite in 2025. Mendy’s story is often cited as an example of perseverance in football, where late developers can still reach the top. Mendy is tall and calm, known for shot-stopping and commanding his area rather than for risky passing. Mendy has spoken of his pride in his Senegalese and Guinea-Bissauan heritage.
Many players give up after a year without a club. Édouard Mendy kept training, and within seven years he had kept a clean sheet in the biggest club final in the world.
