He ultimately entered professional beach soccer in 2000, aged 21, in his home state of Espírito Santo. Due to a higher standard of professionalism in Rio de Janeiro, Mão sought out a move to the city's beach soccer team in 2003, coached by Alexandre Soares. He was first called up to the Brazilian national team in 2004, aged 25. At first, he was subordinate to the incumbent first choice goalkeepers, Robertinho and Pierre; included in Brazil's 15-man shortlist for the 2004 World Championships, Mão was ultimately one of three players left out of the final squad, with the aforementioned preferred over him. In the summer of 2005, Alexandre Soares became Brazil's new manager and made major changes to the squad, shunning longstanding squad members such as Robertinho, with Soares favouring Mão instead. He subsequently attended his first World Cup in 2006, a tournament Brazil won, and has been Brazil's first choice goalkeeper ever since, winning another three back-to-back World Cups in 2007, 2008 and 2009.