Mendonça (footballer)

For other people named Mendonça, see Mendonça (disambiguation).

Mílton da Cunha Mendonça (23 May 1956 – 5 July 2019), better known as Mendonça, was a Brazilian professional footballer who played as a midfielder.

Mendonça

Personal information
Full name	Mílton da Cunha Mendonça
Date of birth	(1956-05-23)23 May 1956
Place of birth	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Date of death	5 July 2019(2019-07-05) (aged 63)
Place of death	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Height	1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1975–1982	Botafogo	342	(118)
1983–1985	Portuguesa	111	(33)
1985–1987	Palmeiras	106	(19)
1987–1988	Santos	110	(28)
1989	Inter de Limeira
1990	Al Sadd
1990	Bangu
1991	Ponte Preta
1991	XV de Piracicaba
1991	São Bento
1991	Grêmio	4	(1)
1992	Inter de Santa Maria
1992–1993	Fortaleza
1993–1994	América de Natal
1994	CRAC
1995–1996	Barra Mansa
1997	Mesquita
International career
1983	Brazil
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 27 November 2023

Career

A midfielder with enormous skill, Mendonça stood out in practically every club he played at, especially at Botafogo where he is considered one of the main players in the club's history. He made more than 300 appearances for the club, and more than 100 appearances for Portuguesa, Palmeiras and Santos.^[1][2] He continued his career in the 90s, but at less prominent clubs, retiring in 1997.^[3]

Internacional career

Mendonça was part of the Brazil national team squad that competed in the 1983 Copa América and was runners-up.^{[citation needed]}

Honours

Botafogo

• Torneio Início Carioca: 1977

Death

Mendonça felt ill and suffered a fall at a train station in Rio de Janeiro. He was hospitalized for about 2 months and died of ceps. The player had had a problem with alcoholism throughout his life.^[4][5][6]