| Júnior Mendieta | |
| Fullname: | Júnior Leandro Mendieta |
| Birth Date: | 13 June 1993 |
| Birth Place: | Corrientes, Argentina |
| Position: | Midfielder |
| Currentclub: | Volos |
| Clubnumber: | 10 |
| Youthclubs1: | Quilmes |
| Youthyears2: | –2015 |
| Youthclubs2: | Deportivo Morón |
| Years1: | 2015–2016 |
| Clubs1: | Deportivo Morón |
| Caps1: | 34 |
| Goals1: | 14 |
| Years2: | 2016–2020 |
| Clubs2: | Lanús |
| Caps2: | 0 |
| Goals2: | 0 |
| Years3: | 2016–2018 |
| Clubs3: | → Los Andes (loan) |
| Caps3: | 45 |
| Goals3: | 11 |
| Years4: | 2018–2019 |
| Clubs4: | → Deportivo Morón (loan) |
| Caps4: | 19 |
| Goals4: | 5 |
| Years5: | 2019–2020 |
| Clubs5: | → Atlético de Rafaela (loan) |
| Caps5: | 18 |
| Goals5: | 3 |
| Years6: | 2020–2021 |
| Clubs6: | → Stellenbosch (loan) |
| Caps6: | 21 |
| Goals6: | 3 |
| Years7: | 2021–2023 |
| Clubs7: | Stellenbosch |
| Caps7: | 51 |
| Goals7: | 11 |
| Years8: | 2023–2024 |
| Clubs8: | Mamelodi Sundowns |
| Caps8: | 18 |
| Goals8: | 2 |
| Years9: | 2024– |
| Clubs9: | Volos |
| Caps9: | 1 |
| Goals9: | 0 |
| Club-Update: | 17 August 2024 |
Júnior Leandro Mendieta (born 13 June 1993) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Greek Super League club Volos.[1]
Mendieta started his senior career with Deportivo Morón in Primera B Metropolitana, having played for Quilmes at youth level.[2] His professional debut arrived on 14 February 2015 during a draw with Deportivo Merlo, prior to Mendieta receiving red cards in consecutive appearances in August against Defensores de Belgrano and Platense.[1] [3] A month later, he scored his senior goal against Almagro.[1] Mendieta scored twice more that year, which preceded six goals in fourteen games in the next campaign.[1] On 30 June 2016, Argentine Primera División side Lanús signed Mendieta.[1] He was immediately loaned to Los Andes.[1]
Mendieta remained with Los Andes for the 2016–17 and 2017–18 Primera B Nacional seasons, scoring seven times in forty-six matches in all competitions.[1] After returning to Lanús in June, Mendieta subsequently agreed to rejoin Deportivo Morón; signing a loan contract.[1] He netted twice for Morón, both came in a fixture with Instituto in November 2018, across nineteen appearances.[1] Mendieta had a third loan spell away from Lanús in 2019–20, joining Atlético de Rafaela for twelve months in July 2019.[1] One goal in eighteen matches followed, in a campaign that was curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1]
Mendieta's contract with Lanús expired on 30 June 2020, with the midfielder subsequently revealing that a potential move to South African Premier Division side Stellenbosch was being finalized; amid interest from Rafaela for a permanent contract.[4] The move to Africa was belatedly confirmed on 30 October.[5] His first appearance arrived on 4 November against SuperSport United, as he replaced Jayden Adams with twenty-five minutes left of an eventual 1–0 defeat.[1] He scored his first goal on 21 November versus Chippa United, before netting his second on 12 February against Golden Arrows.[1]
Mendieta received a call-up to the Argentina U23s for the 2016 Sait Nagjee Trophy in India.[2] [6] However, due to contractual issues, he was deselected prior to the tournament.[6]
In 2017, Mendieta was arrested by police after trespassing at Morón Air Base.[7] He was released without charge soon later, having claimed he accidentally entered the base after becoming lost.[8]
.[1]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Deportivo Morón | 2015 | Primera B Metropolitana | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 4[9] | 2 | 25 | 3 | |||
| 2016 | 13 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 14 | 6 | |||||
| Total | 34 | 7 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 2 | 39 | 9 | |||||
| Lanús | 2016–17 | Primera División | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2017–18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2018–19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2019–20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Los Andes (loan) | 2016–17 | Primera B Nacional | 25 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 26 | 6 | |||
| 2017–18 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 20 | 1 | |||||
| Total | 45 | 7 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 46 | 7 | |||||
| Deportivo Morón (loan) | 2018–19 | Primera B Nacional | 19 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 19 | 2 | |||
| Atlético de Rafaela (loan) | 2019–20 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 18 | 1 | ||||
| Stellenbosch (loan) | 2020–21 | Premier Division | 21 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 22 | 3 | |||
| Career total | 141 | 22 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 148 | 24 | |||