A member of Brazil's Under 17 World Cup winning side, he came to Europe in 2001 to play for FC Girondins de Bordeaux, where he commanded a regular first team spot for three seasons, including playing a key role of Bordeaux's Uefa Cup run in 2002-03. He followed that with a move to Olympique de Marseille, but after an unhappy year there, he was signed by Espanyol in 2005 for 4 million euros.