U.S. Soccer has appointed Marcelo Mendes as the head coach of the U.S. Men’s Beach Soccer National Team in December of 2025. Mendes brings a wealth of experience to his new role at U.S. Soccer, including previous head coaching experience with United Arab Emirates, Japan and China PR, and he will begin guiding the team immediately as preparations get underway for the 2027 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup cycle.

Mendes brings more than 28 years of high-level coaching experience in the Beach game to U.S. Soccer, coaching three different national teams at a total of seven FIFA Beach Soccer World Cups. Most recently he served as the head coach for the China Beach Soccer National Team from 2022 to 2025 and before that had lengthy tenures with Japan (2014-2017) – leading them at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in 2015 and 2017 and the United Arab Emirates (2007-2014) – guiding them at the Beach Soccer World Cups in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2013. He also managed Thailand at the 2005 Beach Soccer World Cup, and has previous coaching experience with the Uruguay, South Africa and Kuwait Beach Soccer National Teams.

Mendes also has an array of international club coaching experience that has seen him guide teams professionally in his native Brazil, as well as Italy, the U.S., Japan, China and other locales.

Using a developmental mindset, Mendes has built a reputation predicated on creating long-lasting foundations for the beach soccer ecosystems within the nations he has served. He has also been a long-time FIFA Beach Soccer Expert for Beach Soccer Worldwide, the governing body of the sport of Beach Soccer.