Josef Alexander MartÃÂnez Mencia (born 19 May 1993) is a Venezuelan professional footballer who plays as a striker for Liga MX club Tijuana and the Venezuela national team.
Josef MartÃÂnez began his career with Caracas. In 2012, he was acquired by the Swiss Super League club Young Boys before spending a year on loan at Thun. In 2014, he was sold to Italian club Torino, and in 2017, Major League Soccer expansion side, Atlanta United. He later joined Inter Miami for the 2023 season. He holds the MLS record for career hat-tricks with six in his first 44 games, the record for cumulative goals in regular and post season with 35, the record for most consecutive games with a goal (15), and formerly held the record for goals in a single season (31 in 2018). Additionally, MartÃÂnez scored 100 goals in the MLS faster than any single player in league history (125 games).
In 2018, MartÃÂnez became the most decorated single-season player in MLS history by winning the League MVP, All-Star Game MVP, Golden Boot, and MLS Cup Final MVP. He is regarded as one of the greatest players in MLS history, and the greatest player in Atlanta United history.
He is a former Venezuela under-20 international. In 2011, he made his debut for the senior Venezuela national team against El Salvador, and has since represented his nation at three editions of the Copa América.
MartÃÂnez made his debut for Caracas on 21 August 2010 against Estudiantes de Mérida, entering as a substitute in the 70th minute, won 1âÂÂ0. He scored his first goal in a 2âÂÂ2 draw against Deportivo Petare on 21 November 2010.
On 3 January 2012, Caracas announced MartÃÂnez had been sold to Young Boys of the Swiss Super League for a period of four years along with fellow right-back Alexander Gonzalez. He debuted on 5 February 2012 against Servette, which the Young Boys won 3âÂÂ1. After a string of good performances, MartÃÂnez was called up to the Venezuela national team, as well as awarded his first start for Young Boys on 21 October 2012, in which he scored his first goal for the Swiss club with a volley in the 50th minute against Grasshoppers.
After one season in the Swiss capital city, he was sent on loan to Thun. After scoring eight goals in 18 games with the team from Bernese Oberland, he was momentarily the top scorer in the Swiss Super League and recalled by Young Boys.
On 7 June 2014, MartÃÂnez was sold to Italian Serie A club Torino for a reported fee of â¬3 million. He made his debut in a 0âÂÂ3 away win against Sweden's Brommapojkarna in the third round of the 2014âÂÂ15 Europa League. He scored his first goal for the Granata in the return leg, won 4âÂÂ0 in Turin (7âÂÂ0 on aggregate).
He made his league debut on 14 September in a 2âÂÂ0 loss away to Sampdoria. On 7 December, he scored his first goal in Serie A during a 2âÂÂ2 draw with Palermo. Four days later, he scored his first brace in the Europa League against Copenhagen, which ended 5âÂÂ1 in favour of Torino.
On 30 April 2016, he scored his first brace in Serie A, as Torino won 5âÂÂ1 away to Udinese.
On 2 February 2017, MartÃÂnez was loaned with a buying option to Major League Soccer expansion team Atlanta United. He made his league debut on 5 March in a 2âÂÂ1 home defeat against New York Red Bulls. He scored his first career hat-trick, and the first hat-trick in the history of the club, in a 6âÂÂ1 win at Minnesota United the following week.
On 21 March, Atlanta announced they had activated the buyout clause for an undisclosed transfer fee. He was named the MLS Player of the Month for March after scoring five goals in his first three games in the league.
On 23 March, while playing for the Venezuela national team against Peru, MartÃÂnez injured his left quadricep. After more than two months of recuperation, he returned to action only to be injured again over the summer. Upon his return from the second injury, he scored hat tricks in two consecutive games against the New England Revolution and Orlando City, and was named the MLS Player of the Month for September 2017. Atlanta United finished in a tie for third in the Eastern Conference, but were eliminated in the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs by Columbus Crew. Despite only making 20 appearances (all competitions) due to injury, MartÃÂnez finished his first year in Atlanta fourth in the league in scoring, with 20 goals in all competitions, and was named to the MLS Best XI for the 2017 season.
On 2 June 2018, MartÃÂnez converted a late penalty kick against Philadelphia Union to notch his fifth MLS hat-trick, tying the league record for hat-tricks and doing so faster than any other player in league history. He broke the record for hat-tricks on 21 July 2018 against DC United, after only 44 games.
He was voted the MLS Player of the Month for July after scoring ten goals and adding one assist to lead the Five Stripes to a 3âÂÂ1âÂÂ1 record.
He scored the only goal for the MLS All-Stars in the 2018 MLS All-Star Game against Juventus, a 1âÂÂ1 draw, and was named MVP.
On 24 August 2018, he scored his 28th goal of the season, a game winner in Orlando City, to break the league single-season record of 27, held by Roy Lassiter, Chris Wondolowski, and Bradley Wright-Phillips. After failing to capitalize on numerous opportunities, MartÃÂnez utilized his quick footwork to cut back against the defender and then chip Joe Bendik to set the record in just his 26th match. He was named MLS Player of the Month for August 2018. Atlanta United won the MLS Cup that season.
On 6 August 2019, MartÃÂnez was awarded the MLS Player of the Month for July. He earned the award having scored in nine straight matches, tying his own MLS record set the previous season, which was also shared with Diego Valeri.
On 23 August, he set a new MLS record by scoring a goal in 12 consecutive games. The goal helped his side to a 1âÂÂ0 win over rivals Orlando City and was his 15th strike during the streak. On 18 September, MartÃÂnez extended his goal-scoring record to 15 consecutive games, which is the third longest streak in world football after Lionel Messi (33 goals in 21 games) and Tor Henning Hamre (21 goals in 15 games).
On 29 February 2020, in Atlanta UnitedâÂÂs first game of the 2020 season, MartÃÂnez suffered a torn ACL against MLS debutant Nashville. MartÃÂnez missed the entirety of the 2020 season.
MartÃÂnez made his first appearance since early last season on 6 April 2021 in the CONCACAF Champions League against Alajuelense, coming on as a 67th minute substitute in the 1âÂÂ0 away victory. On 9 May 2021, MartÃÂnez scored his first goal of the season in a 1âÂÂ1 draw against Inter Miami. In July 2021, after returning from Copa América, it was revealed by coach Gabriel Heinze that MartÃÂnez was training away from the team, with no specific reason given. Heinze was removed as Atlanta United's coach on 18 July and MartÃÂnez played his first match since returning on 21 July against FC Cincinnati. He came on as a substitute in the 1âÂÂ1 draw.
On 30 July 2021, MartÃÂnez scored the opening goal for Atlanta United in the first minute of a 3âÂÂ2 away defeat against Orlando City. He then scored the first goal for Atlanta on 4 August in their 2âÂÂ2 draw against CF Montréal. MartÃÂnez also earned a red card in the 82nd minute following an altercation with Montréal's Victor Wanyama. He returned to the side on 15 August, scoring the only goal in a 1âÂÂ0 home victory against Los Angeles FC.
MartÃÂnez scored his first goal of the 2022 season on 13 March 2022. After a second successful knee surgery, he started his first game since April, where he went on to score a goal and assisted another.
At the end of the season, after winning the award for the 2022 MLS Goal of the Year, MartÃÂnez did not renew his contract with Atlanta United, subsequently leaving the club after six seasons after falling out, and eventually being frozen out of the team by manager Gonzalo Pineda.
On 18 January 2023, it was announced that MartÃÂnez had been traded to Inter Miami. MartÃÂnez made his 2023 Inter Miami season debut in a match against CF Montréal on 25 February 2023, ending in a 2âÂÂ0 win.
On 19 August, Inter Miami won the 2023 Leagues Cup, with MartÃÂnez scoring three goals in the competition. Later on, Inter Miami went to the 2023 U.S. Open Cup final, where they lost 1âÂÂ2 against the Houston Dynamo, with MartÃÂnez scoring the only goal.
On 21 October, Inter Miami's head coach, Gerardo Martino, confirmed that Martinez would leave Inter Miami after only one season. Four days later, the club confirmed the player's departure.
On 6 February 2024, CF Montréal announced that they had signed MartÃÂnez as a free agent for the 2024 season with an option for a further year. Though his option was declined he tallied a total of 13 goals and 3 assists.
On 13 January 2025, MartÃÂnez joined San Jose Earthquakes as a free agent, signing a one-year deal.
In January 2026, he signed with Liga MX club Tijuana.
MartÃÂnez made his international debut on 7 August 2011 against El Salvador as a substitute in the 76th minute.
On 10 November 2016 (matchday 11 of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification), MartÃÂnez scored a hat-trick against Bolivia in a 5âÂÂ0 win in MaturÃÂn.
While he started as a winger, a position in which he often played at Torino under Sinisa Mihajlovic, it was Gerardo Martino who changed his position, converting him into a center forward. Primarily a forward, MartÃÂnez is an aggressive and powerful player, who usually plays in a central role as a main striker, but who is also capable of playing as a winger. His pace, dribbling ability, eye for goal, and his accurate finishing ability with either foot, as well as his head, combined with his ability to make attacking runs off the ball from behind and get into good positions, make him a dangerous attacking threat in the penalty area.
Atlanta United
Inter Miami
Individual