Da Costa was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A prolific and effective centre-forward, he began his football career in his native country with Botafogo (1948–55), for whom he scored 36 goals from 51 appearances in the Campeonato Carioca, winning the top-goalscorer award in 1954, with 24 goals, and the league title in 1948, forming a notable attacking partnership with Vinício. He later moved to Italy, where he played for a number of clubs in Serie A. He made his Serie A debut on 18 September 1955, against Vicenza, with Roma, for whom he scored 71 times in 149 appearances between 1955 and 1961, also winning the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup with the club in 1961, and winning the Capocannoniere Award during the 1956–57 season as the Serie A top goalscorer, with 22 goals. Alongside Roma legend Francesco Totti, he is the joint all-time top scorer in the Rome Derby in official competitions, with 11 goals, and 12 including friendly matches.