Thiago Mendes (full name: Thiago Mendes Rocha) is a Brazilian professional footballer who primarily plays as a defensive or central midfielder.

• Full name: Thiago Mendes Rocha
• Date of birth: June 15, 1992
• Place of birth: Ipatinga, Minas Gerais, Brazil
• Nationality: Brazilian
• Position: Defensive midfielder / Central midfielder

Club career highlights

• São Paulo FC — Thiago Mendes joined São Paulo in 2017 from Fluminense. At São Paulo he featured as a key midfield figure, often praised for his ball recovery, positional sense and ability to start attacks from deep. He made numerous appearances for the club in Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, Copa do Brasil and continental competitions during his time there.
• Previous clubs — Mendes began his senior career with Atlético Mineiro’s youth setup, followed by spells at Goiás and Fluminense (where he established himself before moving to São Paulo).
• Subsequent move — In mid-2019 he transferred to Olympique Lyonnais (Lyon) in France’s Ligue 1, continuing his career in Europe.

Playing style

• Defensive-minded midfielder with good tackling and interception skills.
• Comfortable with the ball, capable of progressing play with short passes and occasional forward passes to link midfield with attack.
• Known for work rate, positional discipline and physical presence in midfield.

Honours and notable achievements

• Won domestic titles and tournaments with early clubs at youth or regional levels; individual match performances and consistency earned him moves between top Brazilian clubs and then to Europe.

Notes: This summary focuses on Thiago Mendes’s time around and after São Paulo. For up-to-date statistics (appearances, goals, current club) consult an official club site, league records or a live sports database, as transfers and stats change over time.