Whenever the transfer story rolls around, there’s always one man called Jorge Mendes calling the tune. Nicknamed the “Super Agent” for his exquisite deal-making and unparalleled network, Mendes has mastered the nitty-gritty of sports representation like no other.
The transfer of Pablo from Gil Vicente to West Ham in January 2026 for £20 million perfectly showcases Jorge Mendes’ business prowess. Within six months, Mendes transformed a relatively unknown talent valued at £220,000 into a £20 million asset. In December 2025, Mendes was awarded the Globe Soccer Best Agent Award for the 13th time following another spectacular year of blockbuster transfers. In 2024, he was the mastermind behind Leny Yoro to Manchester United for €52 million (instead of joining Real Madrid on a free transfer), João Neves to PSG for €60 million plus €10 million in add-ons, Pedro Neto to Chelsea for €63 million, Manuel Ugarte to Manchester United for €50 million plus add-ons, and João Félix’s return to Chelsea for €52 million plus €5 million in variables. Combined, these five transfers generated over €300 million in transfer fees.
At 60, the Portuguese super-agent commands over €1.6 billion in player value through Gestifute, his agency company. But the story of Jorge Mendes does not begin with success and fame. Behind it lies a humble beginnings.
The Early Story of Jorge Mendes
Born on January 7, 1966, in Lisbon, Jorge Paulo Agostinho Mendes grew up in modest surroundings. His father, Manuel Cabanas, worked at Petrogal—Portugal’s leading oil company—while his mother, Maria Boa Hora Grosso Agostinho, crafted straw hats and baskets to support the family. From a young age, Mendes was already a businessman, selling his mother’s handmade goods at local beaches and flea markeyts. Like many Portuguese boys of his generation, Mendes dreamed of becoming a professional footballer. He pursued semi-professional football, playing as a left winger, but had to abandon his dream after suffering a career-ending knee injury. Unable to continue his playing career, Mendes ventured into business. He ran a video rental store, transitioned into managing a beach bar, and eventually worked as a nightclub DJ, where he frequently met professional players from Braga, Porto, and Vitória Guimarães. It was here that Mendes started building his football connections. He later became a nightclub owner in the Caminha district, near the Spanish border, where he met his first client; Nuno Espírito Santo.
The Meeting With Nuno Espírito Santo
The chance encounter with Nuno Espírito Santo in 1996 at Mendes’ nightclub marked the pivotal turning point in his career. The then 30-year-old goalkeeper from Vitória Guimarães asked Mendes to help him negotiate a move to Deportivo La Coruña, one of Spain’s biggest clubs at that time. With no previous experience in sports representation, Mendes seized the opportunity and drove over 300 miles to speak directly to the club president, Augusto Lendoiro. After much persuasion, he sealed the deal.
“Jorge knew exactly what time Lendoiro left the club every evening,” Nuno told The Guardian in an interview.
“He would leave the office, go downstairs and walk to a restaurant 100 metres away. And Jorge would be there, walking side-by-side. He would drive two-and-a-half hours there from Portugal for 100 metres—but he knew those 100 metres were golden. Then he would drive two-and-a-half hours back to tell me.”
It didn’t end here. Mendes refused to take a dime from Nuno despite all that he went through.
“Jorge never took a cent from me, although we’d agreed he’d get a bonus,” Nuno later said.
“He tore up the cheque under my eyes, saying he’d never cash it.”
This gesture of loyalty gave birth to a bond that continues till today. “I am a client of the best agent in the world. I do my job; he does his job.” Nuno in 2017.
This is why it’s no surprise that all of Nuno’s managerial appointments and most of his transfers have come courtesy of Mendes, including the transfer of Pablo mentioned above.
The Biggest Breakthrough: Cristiano Ronaldo to Manchester United.
The Nuno deal fueled Mendes’ ambition, leading him to formally establish his sports agency, Gestifute, in 1996. His initial strategy was to dominate the Portuguese market, by attracting more local players. Between 2001 and 2010, it’s reported that Mendes conducted 68% of all player transactions at Sporting Lisbon, Benfica, and Porto. By being present in football schools and youth academies in Portugal, Mendes built his network and client base through this model. He would go from here to there. Through these frequent visits, he was able to discover players like Ricardo Quaresma early and, most importantly, Cristiano Ronaldo, who would transform Mendes’ career after he brokered the €15 million deal from Sporting CP to Manchester United in 2003. Despite interest from multiple clubs, Manchester United was able to secure Ronaldo’s signing after Sir Alex Ferguson promised Mendes that the teenager would play immediately, while other suitors wanted Ronaldo to return to Sporting on loan for another year.
“I’ve always maintained that the coach is, in the end, the most important component in any transfer. Every club wanted him, but they all wanted him to have another season loaned back to Sporting. The only person who seemed willing to take him on immediately was Sir Alex Ferguson, and at that time, I had no doubt it was the best solution” Mendes recounted.
Beyond Ronaldo, Mendes executed another major transfer in 2004 with José Mourinho’s move from Porto to Chelsea. At that time, Jose Baidek already had a deal with Liverpool for his client to join the club.
However, Mendes came with a better offer, alerting Chelsea to the possibility of getting the UEFA Champions League winner manager from Porto. The rest is floodgates. The likes of Ricardo Carvalho, Paulo Ferreira, Tiago, and Maniche were brought into the club. To this day, Mendes holds the key to the transfer acquisition of any Portuguese players at the Bridge.
In 2014, Mendes’ power reached its peak, with his fame spreading across European football, after negotiating four of the seven biggest deals during the summer transfer window. He was the mastermind behind James Rodríguez’s move to Real Madrid from Monaco for £63 million, Ángel Di María from Real Madrid to Manchester United for £60 million, Diego Costa from Atlético Madrid to Chelsea for £32 million, and Eliaquim Mangala from Porto to Manchester City for £32 million.
Today, he has become a household name. Through Gestifute, he manages approximately 155 active clients with a collective market value of €1.6 billion. From a one-man business, the company has turned into a multi-operational enterprise, with offices in Porto and Lisbon, and satellite operations in Madrid, Paris, and São Paulo. Together with Luís Correia, the managing director of Gestifute, Mendes founded another company named Polaris Sports, which acts as the sister company of Gestifute. While Gestifute focuses on agency and representation, Polaris Sports handles the commercial and marketing operations, such as image rights, sponsorships, branding and marketing of clients like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lamine Yamal, Aitana Bonmati, among others.
Beyond Players: The Story of Jorge Mendes Buying and Selling Football Clubs
Mendes is not only concerned with transferring players; he acts as a strategic broker for entire clubs. This was aptly captured by Pippo Rosso in his book “The Orgy of Power: The Counter Story of Jorge Mendes, the Patron of Global Football, reported by The Athletic:
“His (Mendes’) business is not just buying and selling players, but also the buying and selling of clubs. He has done this by having great relationships with rich capitalists who want to get into the world of football.”
For example, it was Mendes who was instrumental in Singapore billionaire Peter Lim buying Valencia in 2014 when the club was in financial crisis. After the takeover, Nuno Espírito Santo became the head coach. With Nuno at the dugout, numerous Mendes clients including André Gomes, João Cancelo, Enzo Pérez, and Rodrigo were signed. Similarly, when Russian oligarch Dmitry Rybolovlev bought AS Monaco (then in the French second division) in 2011, he relied heavily on Mendes to rebuild the squad after promotion. Mendes facilitated the transfers of Radamel Falcao, James Rodríguez, João Moutinho, and Ricardo Carvalho (all Gestifute clients) in a single summer.
The Wolverhampton Wanderers project perhaps represents Mendes’ most ambitious club-level operation. After the Fosun International takeover, Mendes intelligence and database became needed. Once again, Nuno Espírito Santo was appointed as the head coach and Wolves was infiltrated with a lot of Portuguese talent, including Rúben Neves, João Moutinho, Diogo Jota, Pedro Neto and many more.
Beyond Football: The Building of Multi-Sport Empire
Being a businessman from an early age means Mendes is always on the lookout for opportunities. He doesn’t only rely on football. Outside of football, he represents clients such as triple jump champion Patricia Mamona, surfer Frederico Morais, tennis player João Sousa, and also Formula 1 driver Charles Leclerc. In January 2021, Mendes entered the world of cycling when his sports marketing company Polaris Sports partnered with Corso Sports, which saw Portuguese riders João Almeida and Ruben Guerreiro promoted by the team.
How Mendes Differs From Other Agents
“People have the wrong idea about agents. Being an agent means many different things. I’m someone normal; I’m working hard every day. I have ambition, determination, and value being honest and doing the right things.”—Jorge Mendes.
Mendes doesn’t just represent players, he builds relationships. Here are testimonials from those who have worked with him:
“Jorge is like a son to me,” Lendoiro once said.
“He is a charming boy, very polite, endearing and hardworking. He sometimes travelled for hours by car only for coffee. I always warned him: ‘We drink coffee, we talk, but nothing else!’ And in the end, it always happened that he would introduce me to a player I had never even heard of.”
For Sir Alex Ferguson: “Jorge Mendes is the best agent I dealt with, without a doubt… very fair with clubs.” That trust was so profound that Ferguson signed a striker named Bebé, whom he hadn’t seen play, purely on Mendes’ word.
To José Mourinho: “There is only one person who can win Best Agent of the Year, and it’s Jorge Mendes.”
His players are also in full admiration of him. Former Portuguese left-back and Real Madrid Fábio Coentrão once said:
“I know that I am where I am today because of Jorge. Without him right now, I wouldn’t be a footballer, I’d be working in the sea.”
Lessons for Aspiring Agents From The Story of Jorge Mendes.
- Build Trust First; Money Second
While money is important, trust is the most valuable currency in agency representation. Your clients are entrusting you with their futures and no one hands that responsibility to someone they cannot rely on. Earn their trust and everything else will follow.
The reason Mourinho could leave his childhood agent, or why Ronaldo’s family signed with Mendes, was because of Mendes proven track record of integrity and trust.
- Build Relationships and Think Long Term
Many people in the industry are myopic, concerned only with what is happening now. Mendes is different. While tearing a cheque in 1996 might seem irrational, that single gesture has built a 30-year partnership that generated millions in commissions. Even after Mendes and Ronaldo parted ways in 2022, that did not affect their relationship: “Our personal relationship continues to be close, a great personal relationship. How do I see this phase of his life? Cristiano will always be in my heart. He is a special player and a special person for me,” Mendes said.
Relationship is the lifewire on which an agent’s success is built. As an agent, you’re only as valuable as the bridges you build, not burn.
- Diversify Your Revenue Streams
A jack of all trades is better than a master of one. While Mendes is the face of Gestifute, he co-founded Polaris Sports to handle branding, image rights, and commercial deals. With BallBridge, you can do the same and achieve the same result.
As an agent, if you have not yet explored BallBridge, you are leaving a huge revenue on the table. BallBridge gives you access to every tool you need, from representation agreement to commercial services, within a single platform. Read how BallBridge is quietly redefining the sports agency industry.
- Start From Somewhere.
Mendes’ initial strategy was to become the face of Portuguese talent. Instead of trying to be everywhere, Mendes focused his efforts on moving from one academy to another across Portugal. This is how he hit the jackpot with players like Ronaldo.
You don’t have to be everywhere when you’re just starting. Pick somewhere and focus your efforts there. The strategy is to leverage where you are, then spread your wings.
The Path Forward: Becoming a Licensed Agent
The path to becoming a football agent is more structured now than when Mendes started. Before you can practice as an agent, you must pass the mandatory FIFA Agent Exam which happens once annually. This year’s application window closed on Friday, 6 March 2026, which means the earliest you can sit the exam is next year. While you’re waiting, read our step-by-step guide for beginners.
If you’re writing the FIFA Agent Exam this year, you don’t have to prepare alone. Send us a DM to join our aspiring agents community, where you get access to free exam questions daily and hundreds of agents to learn and practice with. Also, start practicing with our free practice questions.
For those still unsure about their decision to become a FIFA agent, or needed the right guidance, you can book a consultation with us to learn more about the FIFA Agent Exam and how to start your agency career the right way.
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The story of Jorge Mendes tells us that; “Nothing is impossible. Absolutely. Nothing. Nothing.” The only thing standing between you and your dream is YOU.