On 28 August 2009, Menezes signed with S.L. Benfica in Portugal, on a five-year contract. He made his official debut for the Lisbon outfit on 17 September, playing 60 minutes in a 2–0 home win against BATE Borisov for the season's UEFA Europa League, but appeared in only 11 official games in his first year as Benfica won the national championship after five years, including just five in the league (133 minutes of action).
