The Agent Empires: The Hidden War Between Mendes and Raiola

The Agent Empires: The Hidden War Between Mendes and Raiola

On April 30, 2022, Italian agent Mino Raiola died of lung disease at 54. His agency managed more than 60 top players including Pogba, Haaland, Ibrahimovic, Verratti, and de Vrij, with a total managed value of about 2.5 billion euros. Raiola, alongside Jorge Mendes, ran one of the two great football-agent empires. His death briefly rattled the world's football agency industry.

Mendes and Raiola were the two titans of football agency for the last 30 years. Mendes represented Cristiano Ronaldo, Joao Felix, Diogo Jota, Vitinha, and other Portuguese stars. Raiola represented Pogba, Haaland, Ibrahimovic, and multi-nation stars. The two embodied entirely different approaches, and the silent war between them was one of the most fascinating chapters in football commercial history.

Mendes's Rise

Jorge Mendes was born in 1966 in Porto, Portugal. As a young man he worked as a club bouncer. He started representing players in 1996. His first client was Portuguese player Nuno Gomes, then 22. Mendes met other young Portuguese academy players through Gomes, including an 18-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo.

In 2002 Mendes brokered Ronaldo's move from Sporting CP to Manchester United for 12.24 million pounds. The transfer made his name. From there he became the standard agent for Portugal national team players. In 2005 his agency Gestifute was founded in Lisbon, officially entering the European top-tier agency market.

Raiola's Opposite Approach

Mino Raiola was born in 1967 in Naples, moving to the Netherlands at age 5 with his family. He grew up there and learned multiple languages. He worked at his father's pizzeria from 20 and began representing players at 22. His first client was Dutch player Dennis Bergkamp.

Bergkamp's 1993 move from Ajax to Inter Milan for 19 million euros, one of the highest at the time, brought Raiola a 5% commission of 950,000 euros. He used the proceeds to launch his agency Maguire Sports in the Netherlands. He became one of the rising figures of European football agency.

A Fundamental Stylistic Clash

Mendes and Raiola had completely different styles. Mendes was the professionalist. Gestifute has about 50 staff, each specializing in transfers, contracts, commercial, or media. Mendes himself coordinates from behind the scenes and rarely appears in public.

Raiola was the opposite. He personally led every big transfer negotiation. He performed dramatically in the media, often using a big beard, cigar, and flamboyant clothing to draw attention. His agency had just 10 staff, with him as the core. The personal-heroic style made him unique.

Contrasting Client Bases

Mendes's client base centers on Portuguese and Spanish players. He has a special relationship with the Portuguese FA, with about 70% of Portugal's squad being Gestifute clients. This concentration gives Mendes massive market leverage. A club signing a Portuguese player typically must also negotiate future cooperation with Gestifute.

Raiola's clients spanned many nations. He represented Pogba (France), Ibrahimovic (Sweden), Haaland (Norway), Verratti (Italy), Balotelli (Italy), de Vrij (Netherlands), and Maksimovic (Serbia). The diversification covered the whole of Europe, but his influence in any single country was less than Mendes's.

Astronomical Commissions

Football agent commissions are typically 5-10% of total contracts. A 100 million euro transfer yields 5-10 million in commission. Mendes and Raiola each accumulated over 500 million euros in commissions.

The classic example is Pogba's 2016 move from Juventus to Manchester United for 105 million euros, then a world record. Raiola's commission was around 27 million euros, one of the highest single agency fees ever. Mendes's largest single commission was Ronaldo's 2009 move from United to Real Madrid for 80 million euros, paying him around 8 million.

Ronaldo and Mendes: 25 Years Together

Ronaldo and Mendes have worked together for 25 years. Every Ronaldo transfer since 2002, when Mendes brokered his United deal, has been handled by Mendes. United to Madrid to Juventus to United (brief return) to Saudi side Al-Nassr, five transfers totaling about 600 million euros with about 60 million in Mendes commissions.

But in 2024 cracks appeared. The 40-year-old Ronaldo began thinking about retirement and wanted Mendes to plan his post-playing commercial empire. Mendes thought Ronaldo could keep playing. The disagreement strained relations in the second half of 2024. As of 2025 Ronaldo has not formally changed agents but rumors persist. The fracture of a long partnership reflects the complexity of the agent-player relationship.

Haaland and the Raiola Succession

Haaland's 2020 move from Salzburg to Dortmund was a Raiola operation. The deal lifted his fee from 17 million euros to 60 million when he moved to Manchester City in 2022. Raiola died in April 2022 but had already mapped out Haaland's career path before his death.

Haaland's current agent is Raiola's nephew Rafaela Pimenta. She inherited the agency and continues to manage Haaland's contracts and commercial endorsements. The family succession keeps Raiola's empire alive after his death.

Agents vs. Clubs

Both Mendes and Raiola clashed openly with clubs. In 2018 Raiola publicly criticized United manager Mourinho for treating Pogba unfairly. The criticism broke the Pogba-Mourinho relationship, and eventually Mourinho was sacked.

Mendes had similar episodes. In 2021 he publicly clashed with Barcelona over unpaid fees on Joao Felix. President Laporta then publicly stated Barca would never work with Gestifute again. But the rift was eventually mended, and in 2024 Barca signed Mendes client Gavi as an academy core. The repair shows clubs ultimately need agents.

FIFA's Regulation of Agents

FIFA began regulating agents in 2008. Initially agents had to pass FIFA's exam to be licensed. In 2015 FIFA scrapped licensing, letting anyone act as an agent. The loose approach saw the number of agents balloon to around 15,000.

In 2023 FIFA tightened regulation again, introducing a new agent framework. The new rules cap commissions at 6% of a transaction. The cap was immediately challenged legally by agent associations. French, German, and Italian courts ruled FIFA's commission cap violates EU competition law. The regulatory tug-of-war continues.

The True Value of an Agent Empire

The true value of an agent empire is not just commissions but market influence. Mendes and Raiola could shape where a player went, who a club signed, and even who a national team picked. That influence made them real power centers of world football.

A player may move 3-5 times in a career, but the agent typically does not change. The long-term relationship makes agents understand a player's personal preferences, family situation, and career goals better than any club. In that sense the agent is the most important partner. The 25-year careers of Mendes and Raiola prove this deep partnership is worth more than any single transfer.

The Continuation of the Agent Era

After Raiola's death his nephew Pimenta took over. Mendes's Gestifute is run jointly with his son. Both empires continue through family succession. The next generation of agents including Pimenta, Minolia (Raiola partner), and Neves (Mendes partner) are taking over.

The age of football agents will not end. As long as players exist, agents have a market. The new generation will face new challenges including AI player data analysis, crypto's impact on contract payments, and social media shaping player images. These changes keep the agency industry evolving. But the basic logic does not change. An agent's real value is making a player's career more successful. That is the greatest legacy Mendes and Raiola leave for the next generation.