International Career
In the summer of 1996, Mendieta was part of the Spanish under-21 national team which were runners-up in the UEFA European Championship. He made his senior side debut on 27 March 1999, coming on as a substitute for Juan Carlos Valerón in a 9–0 thrashing of Austria for UEFA Euro 2000's qualifying stages; he was included in the list of 22 for the competition in Belgium and the Netherlands, helping the national side reach the last eight.
Despite his form slump at Lazio, Mendieta was picked for the squad at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, scoring one goal in three matches for the eventual quarterfinalists, against South Africa (3–2 win). The last of his 40 caps was gained in a friendly with Bulgaria in Granada, four months after the World Cup.
Read more about this topic: Gaizka Mendieta
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