Ménez began his career spending time with various clubs in theÎle-de-France region such as the Centre de Formation de Paris and CSF Brétigny. In 2001, he secured a move toSochaux and spent four years in the club's youth academy. In March 2004, Ménez became the youngest professional football player in the history ofLigue 1 after signing a professional contract and made his professional debut in the2004–05 season. With Sochaux, he playedEuropean football for the first time after participating in the2004–05 edition of theUEFA Cup. After two seasons at the club, he joinedMonaco. At Monaco, Ménez developed into a playmaking midfielder under the tutelage of Brazilian managerRicardo Gomes. After two successful seasons inMonaco, he signed forSerie A clubRoma on a four-year contract. With Roma, Ménez featured in theUEFA Champions League for the first time and scored 12 goals in over 100 appearances with the club. In July 2011, after three seasons with Roma, Ménez returned to France signing a three-year contract withParis Saint-Germain. He was then signed byAC Milan on a free transfer in June 2014, signing a three-year contract.
Ménez was born inLongjumeau, Essonne.[2] As a child, he grew up inVitry-sur-Seine, not far from his birthplace, and supported hometown clubParis Saint-Germain.[5] Ménez became attracted to football through his father and older brother who were football players themselves. Ménez began his career at local club CA Vitry. After a year at the club, Ménez joined the Centre de Formation de Paris, a youth sporting club designed to cater only to football players under the age of 19.[6] While at C.F.F.P, Ménez developed and honed his technical skills and was placed into theplaymaker position by his coaches. After five years at the academy, he departed the club after developing friction with the academy coaches.[5] After leaving CFFP, Ménez joined CSF Brétigny, a local Parisian club that also trainedFrench internationalsPatrice Evra andJimmy Briand. He spent only a year at the club before securing a move to professional clubSochaux in Franche-Comté.[citation needed]
Upon his arrival at Sochaux, Ménez entered the club's youth academy and began attending the sports department's elite high school, Vignes de Seloncourt, with ambitions of becoming an accountant.[7] While in the club's academy, Ménez was adept both on and off the field earning good grades in school.[5] On 24 March 2004, at the age of 16, he signed his first professional contract with Sochaux, agreeing to a three-year deal until June 2007. Upon signing the contract, he became the youngest professional football player in the history ofLigue 1.[8] Ménez was subsequently promoted to the club's senior team and assigned the number 26 shirt by managerGuy Lacombe. Prior to signing his contract, Ménez drew strong interest from English clubsArsenal andManchester United. The latter club's manager at the time,Sir Alex Ferguson, was later accused by Sochaux's former president Jean-Claude Plessis oftapping up Ménez; he accused Ferguson of meeting with the player's parents in Paris and offering them financial favours. Manchester United denied the accusations.[9] Ménez travelled toManchester and visited the team's facilities andOld Trafford, the club's stadium, before deciding to remain in France.[7]
On 7 August 2004, Ménez made his professional debut in the club's opening match of the2004–05 season againstAjaccio. He started the match and played 57 minutes before being substituted for in a 1–0 win.[10] Despite being so young, Ménez was a regular within the team, often rotating between the bench and starting XI. On 20 November, he scored his first professional goal in a 3–1 victory overMonaco.[11] Two months later, Ménez became the youngest player in league history to score ahat-trick after recording one in the team's 4–0 victory overBordeaux.[7] He scored the goals in a seven-minute span to assure Sochaux of victory.[12] Ménez was a regular during the team's2004–05 UEFA Cup campaign, appearing in six matches with the club.[13] Sochaux suffered elimination in the Round of 32 at the hands of Greek clubOlympiakos. Following the season, Ménez was nominated for theUNFPYoung Player of the Year award but lost out toNantesmidfielderJérémy Toulalan.[citation needed]
For the2005–06 season, Ménez switched to the number 11 shirt and was given a more prominent role within the team by new managerDominique Bijotat. He appeared in 31 league matches, fifth-best on the team, and scored three goals. Ménez scored his first goal on 15 October 2005 in a 1–1 draw against Bordeaux.[14] At the beginning of the new year, Ménez scored his final two goals in another 1–1 draw withNice and a 4–0 victory overSaint-Étienne.[15][16] Sochaux finished the season in a disappointing 15th position after finishing the four previous seasons in the top ten. This led Ménez to become unsettled and to declare his desire to leave the club. On 8 June 2006, Sochaux chairman Dassier announced that he would consider offers for the player with Ligue 1 clubs Paris Saint-Germain, Bordeaux, Monaco and English club Arsenal reported to be interested.[17]
On 22 June 2006, Sochaux announced on its website that it had reached an agreement with fellow Ligue 1 club Monaco for the transfer of Ménez. He signed a four-year contract, with the transfer fee undisclosed.[18] Ménez was given the number 10 shirt by managerLászló Bölöni and inserted into his preferred left-winger position. He made his club debut on 19 August in the team's 1–1 draw withRennes, appearing as a substitute.[19] On 30 September, Ménez scored his first goal for the club in a 2–1 win overLe Mans, netting the game-winner ten minutes from time.[20] Following the firing of Bölöni and the arrival of new managerRicardo Gomes, Ménez struggled to get consistent playing time and grew frustrated, which led to interest abroad from Manchester United andLiverpool.[21] On 11 November, however, he was re-inserted into the starting line-up and scored the equalising goal in a 2–2 draw with Lorient.[22] Ménez maintained his form into the new year, but struggled for fitness in February due to agroin injury. The injury required surgery and Ménez missed two months of play.[23] He returned to the team in April and scored goals in three-straight matches againstLille,Valenciennes andMarseille.[24][25][26] Ménez finished the 2006–07 campaign by scoring the only goal in a win over the championsLyon.[27]
Despite summer interest from EnglishPremier League clubs, Ménez opted to remain at Monaco. In the2007–08 campaign, he scored his first goal in the team's 3–0 victory over his former club Sochaux.[28][29] The following week, he netted again, this time in a 3–1 win over Le Mans.[30] On 15 December, Ménez scored a double in a 3–1 victory againstLens.[31] It was his first multi-goal game since his hat-trick three years prior. The following month, Ménez scored both of the team's goal in a 2–0 away win againstMetz.[32] On 23 February 2008, he suffered an injury in a league match against Paris-Saint Germain, which led to him leaving the match at half-time. The injury was discovered to be serious and Ménez missed three months before returning for the final two matches of the season, making obligatory substitute appearances.[citation needed]
After featuring in Monaco's first three league matches of the season, it was reported on 27 August 2008 that Ménez had signed a four-year contract with Italian clubRoma. The transfer fee was priced at €10.5 million with Monaco set to receive another €1.5 million in incentives.[33] Ménez was announced as the replacement for departed wingersMancini andLudovic Giuly and selected the number 24 shirt, the former number of club legendMarco Delvecchio. He made his debut for the club on 31 August in the team'sSerie A match againstNapoli, appearing as a substitute in the 63rd minute.[34] Ménez made hisUEFA Champions League debut in the team's group stage match against Bordeaux, playing 51 minutes in a 3–1 victory.[35] On 6 December, he scored his first goal for the club in a 1–0 victory overChievo.[36] For the majority of the campaign, however, Ménez struggled for consistent playing time, rarely lasting an entire match and often starting on the bench for consecutive matches underLuciano Spalletti. On 24 May 2009, he appeared as a substitute in the 75th minute againstAC Milan. After five minutes on the field, Ménez scored a goal to put Roma up 2–1; the capital club went on to win the match 3–2.[37] The following week, he started the match and scored a goal in a 3–2 win overTorino.[38]
For the2009–10 season, Ménez switched to the unusual number 94 shirt. He scored his first goal against Milan on 18 October 2009.[39] On 6 January 2010, he drew the ire of new managerClaudio Ranieri and several teammates, who criticised him for his substitute appearance againstCagliari in which he gave a somewhat lackadaisical effort. Following the criticism, Ménez stated, "I touched the lowest point of my career in that game away to Cagliari," and, "My teammates were right to criticise me."[40] On 11 January, Ménez issued an apology to coach Ranieri and his teammates and brushed off rumours of him issuing a transfer request by declaring himself fully committed to the team. On 30 January,midfielderSimone Perrotta stated that Ménez simply needed a confidence boost.[41] After appearing as a substitute for four consecutive matches after the Cagliari match, Ménez made his first start since December 2009 in a league match againstCatania on 21 February. He capped the return by assisting on the game-winning goal scored byMirko Vučinić.[42] Ménez finished the campaign by starting eight of the final ten league matches as Roma finished the season in second place and qualified for theUEFA Champions League.[citation needed]
In the2010–11 season, Ménez began the season as a starter under Ranieri after his successful end to the previous season. Despite being a starter, however, Ranieri continued to undermine Ménez's durability as he consistently substituted the player out in every match he started. On 3 November, Ménez scored his first goal of the campaign in a 3–2 Champions League victory over Swiss clubBasel.[43] A week later, he assisted on aMarco Borriello goal in a 3–2 win overFiorentina.[44] On 13 November, for the first time in the season, Ménez played an entire match after playing in a 1–1 draw withJuventus.[45] In the team's next league match againstUdinese, he scored his first league goal and also assisted on a goal in a 2–0 win.[46] After going scoreless in December, on 22 January 2011, Ménez scored the final goal in a 3–0 win over Cagliari.[47] On 16 February, Ménez scored a goal in Roma's first leg of its Champions League first knockout round tie withShakhtar Donetsk.[48] Five days later, Ranieri resigned from his position as manager and replaced withVincenzo Montella.[49] Under Montella, Ménez appeared in the manager's first three matches as a substitute. On 13 March, he made his first start under Montella in a league match againstLazio, but was substitute out after 55 minutes.[50] On 23 March, in an interview with French newspaperL'Equipe, Ménez admitted that he was frustrated with his playing time under Montella.[51] The frustration reached its zenith when, on 21 April, Ménez and Montella got into an altercation during a morning training session after Montella reportedly "spent a quarter of an hour berating the France international" for his lack of commitment.[52][53] Later that night, following the team'sCoppa Italia tie withInter Milan, while leaving theStadio Olimpico in his vehicle, Ménez was attacked by stone-throwing "thugs", which resulted in his carwindshield being smashed.[54]
On 25 July 2011, Paris Saint-Germain confirmed that the club had signed Ménez to a three-year contract.[55] The transfer fee was €8 million plus possible future incentives.[56][57] He was presented to the media the same day – alongside fellow new signing and international teammateBlaise Matuidi – and was assigned the number 7 shirt.[58] Ménez made his club debut for the team in its 1–0 defeat to theNew York Red Bulls at theEmirates Cup. He made his competitive debut for PSG on 6 August 2011 in the team's opening 1–0 league defeat toLorient.[59] The following week, he assisted on the team's opening goal, scored byKevin Gameiro, in a 1–1 draw with Rennes.[60] On 18 August 2011, in PSG's first legUEFA Europa League playoff round tie against Luxembourger clubDifferdange, Ménez scored the final goal for the team in a 4–0 away win. He also assisted on a goal in the victory.[61] Three days later, he again assisted Gameiro for a goal in a 2–1 win overValenciennes, helping PSG earn its first league win of the season. On 28 August, Ménez netted his first league goal for the club away toToulouse; Paris Saint-Germain won the match 3–1.[citation needed]
Under the guidance of coachesAntoine Kombouaré and laterCarlo Ancelotti, Ménez enjoyed a strong campaign which saw him deliver seven goals and 12 assists in 33 league appearances for PSG, a career best for him. On 4 December 2011, during a 3–2 home league victory againstAuxerre, Ménez scored PSG's 2,000th goal in top-flight football.[citation needed]
In the2012–13 season, Ménez was used less prolifically inLigue 1 matches. With two goals and two assists in five European appearances, however, he has been one of his club's main actors in their Champions League efforts, developing a strong understanding on the pitch with new star strikerZlatan Ibrahimović, another former Serie A player.[citation needed]
In June 2014, Italian club AC Milan confirmed that the club had signed Ménez on a three-year contract.[citation needed] On 31 August 2014, Ménez scored a penalty on his debut for Milan against Lazio. He went on to score two goals againstParma helping Milan win the game. His first goal in this game was from a penalty, and the second goal was a beautifully worked backheel finish.[62] On 8 November, Ménez scored a penalty kick and assistedStephan El Shaarawy's goal as Milan drewSampdoria 2–2.[citation needed]
On 23 November, Ménez scored a beautiful goal as he calmy converted El Shaarawy's cross in the far net in theDerby della Madonnina against Inter. He then scored two goals and was named man of the match in the next game against Udinese. Ménez also continued his impressive form and scored a beautiful goal as he dribbled past 3 defenders and put it in the net as he helped Milan beat Napoli 2–0.[63] Ménez scored two goals and created an assist in the 3–1 defeat of Parma on 1 February.[64] He followed this with a penalty in a 2–2 draw withHellas Verona on 7 March and a brace in a 3–1 defeat of Cagliari on 21 March, hitting a career high in goals for a single club (15, surpassing his previous best of 14 for PSG). On 4 March 2015, Ménez scored the winning goal after a long solo run againstPalermo in a 2–1 victory, Milan's first away win of 2015. Ménez's season, however, ended poorly; on 29 April 2015, he was sent off for a second bookable offensive during the 3–1 defeat againstGenoa and was handed a four-match ban for an insulting gesture, also missing the team's last match againstAtalanta due to an injury.[65] Ménez ended his first season at Milan as the club's top scorer, with 34 appearances and 16 goals in all competitions.[citation needed]
In the subsequent summer, Ménez suffered back problems and underwent surgery inMonaco. On 21 August, he was ruled out for a month as further back complications arose.[66] An infection meant he missed the first 26 games of the2015–16 season and was kept from playing until his return in a 2–1league win over Genoa on 14 February 2016. On 1 March, he started a match for the first time since April 2015, playing 76 minutes and scoring twice in a 5–0Coppa Italia defeat ofAlessandria, sending Milan to thefinal for the first time since2003.[67]
On 1 August 2016, Bordeaux and Milan reached an agreement for the transfer of Ménez.[68] On 3 August, two days after signing for the club, he was involved in a gruesome incident in a pre-season match against Lorient. The injury occurred in the second-half when Lorient midfielderDidier Ndong inadvertently stood on Ménez's head, causing the former French international to lose part of his right ear in the process. Ménez had only come on as a substitute in the 62nd minute but had to be taken off a little more than 15 minutes later when the incident happened. Ndong offered his apologies to Ménez for his part in the accident, stating, "I offer my apologies to Jeremy Ménez and Girondins de Bordeaux. I give him my full support for the coming days and hope to see him very quickly on the pitches of Ligue 1."[69]
On 5 January 2018, it was announced Ménez had joined Mexican sideClub América.[71] He made hisLiga MX debut on 27 January againstAtlas. He appeared as a substitute in the 67th minute forCecilio Domínguez in América's 1–0 win.[72] The following week, Ménez scored his first goal for América in a 5–1 againstLobos BUAP.[73]On 10 February, he scored from the penalty spot to equalise the score in América's 1–1 draw againstTigres UANL. On 2 May, he scored two penalties againstPumas UNAM in the quarterfinals away match, which América would later win 4–1.[74]
On 27 September 2019, he signed a one-year contract with French clubParis FC.[77] In June 2020, after the end of theseason, Ménez left Paris FC and became a free agent.[78]
On 19 July 2023, Ménez joinedSerie B sideBari, signing a 1-year deal, with an optional year.[80] On his debut on 18 August, he suffered a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament injury in his right knee.[81]
In March 2024, Ménez departed the club having had his contract terminated by mutual consent.[82]
Ménez has earned caps with all ofFrance's youth teams. He is a member of the group, commonly known as theGénération 1987, that produced current internationalsHatem Ben Arfa,Karim Benzema andSamir Nasri, alongside himself. Ménez made his youth international debut with theunder-16 team on 11 December 2002 in afriendly againstGreece, playing alongside Nasri and Ben Arfa. In the match, Ménez scored the fifth goal of a 6–1 victory.[84] At the 2003 Aegean Cup in Turkey, he scored goals in three consecutive matches. Ménez scored goals againstUkraine andIsrael and netted his final goal in the third-place match againstBelgium.[85][86][87]
At theMontaigu Tournament, Ménez scored three goals, second-best on the team behind Ben Arfa. He scored a goal in the team's 8–0 win overGabon in the team's opening group match and, in the following match, scored the opening goal in the team's 3–0 win overRussia.[88][89] In the team's final group stage match againstEngland, Ménez netted another goal in a 3–1 victory.[90] At a regional tournament inSalerno, Italy, Ménez led the team to the title by scoring a double in the final match againstthe hosts.[91] He also scored two goals in the group matches againstJapan andFinland.[92][93] Ménez finished the under-16 campaign with 14 appearances and a team-leading 12 goals.[citation needed]
With theunder-17 team, Ménez, Ben Arfa, and Nasri were joined by Karim Benzema and tasked with the goal of winning the2004 UEFA European Under-17 Championship on home soil. Ménez made his debut with the team in the opening match of the season againstSweden. In the Tournio deVal-de-Marne, he scored one goal. France were crowned champions without conceding a goal.[94] At the 2004 UEFA European Under-17 Championship, Ménez contributed to the team's winning the competition by scoring two goals, netting one againstTurkey in the group stage and a second in the semi-finals againstPortugal.[95][96] In total with the under-17s, he made 17 appearances and scored 6 goals. Due to increased playing time at his parent club Sochaux, Ménez's stint with theunder-18 team was uneventful. Ménez did appear with the team at the2005 Meridian Cup, scoring five goals in four matches as France were crowned champions.[97]
The foursome of Ben Arfa, Nasri, Benzema and Ménez returned to international play together forunder-19 duty. The four were joined byIssiar Dia, Blaise Matuidi andSerge Gakpé with the objective of winning the2006 UEFA European Under-19 Championship. In the first round of qualification for the tournament, Ménez went scoreless as France advanced through the round undefeated. In the final round of qualification, he scored a double againstBulgaria in a 4–0 win. Despite finishing the round undefeated, however, France were eliminated after being beaten on points byScotland.[citation needed]
Ménez was absent from theunder-21 team during his early eligibility term but made his debut on 25 May 2008 in the team's 2–1 friendly match win over theNetherlands. He went months without a call-up before finally returning to the team ahead of the important two-legged playoff againstGermany in qualification for the2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship in October 2008. Ménez appeared in both legs as France were defeated 2–1 on aggregate. The 1–0 loss in the second leg eliminated France from the competition and also ended Ménez's under-21 career.[98]
On 5 August 2010, Ménez was called up to thesenior team for the first time by new managerLaurent Blanc for the team's friendly againstNorway on 11 August 2010.[99] He made his international debut in the match starting on the right wing as France were defeated 2–1.[100] On 9 February 2011, Ménez assisted on the only goal, scored by Karim Benzema, in the team's 1–0 win overBrazil at theStade de France.[101] After appearing regularly inqualifying forUEFA Euro 2012, on 29 May 2012, Ménez was named to the squad to participate in the competition.[102] On 5 June, in the team's final warm-up friendly ahead of the Euro, he scored his first international goal in a 4–0 shutout win overEstonia.[103] At Euro 2012, Ménez made his debut at a senior international competition on 15 June in the team's second group stage match againstUkraine. In the contest, he started and scored France's opening goal in a 2–0 victory.[104]
He has two children: a daughter, Maëlla (born 2012) and a son, Menzo (born 2014). Their mother, Émilie Nef Naf is the winner of the third season of reality TV showSecret Story.[105]