Júnior Baiano earned 25 caps with the Brazilian national team in 1997 and 1998, and was a member of the Brazil squad which took part in the 1998 World Cup, the 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup, and which won the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup. During the 1998 World Cup Baiano played a key role in the Brazil squad which reached the 1998 FIFA World Cup Final in Paris, although in the match against Norway which Brazil lost 2–1, he lost a "trial of strength" with Tore André Flo immediately before the striker hit the ball beyond the reach of Claudio Taffarel to equalize, and also fouled the same player a few minutes later, which resulted in the awarding of a penalty kick, from which the Norwegians scored the decisive goal.