Érika's mother arranged a place at Clube Atlético Juventus, where she began playing outdoors and quickly came to the attention of national youth team selectors and leading women's club Santos.

Érika was picked by FC Gold Pride, a team in the new Women's Professional Soccer from Santa Clara, California, in the 2008 WPS International Draft.

After appearing in seven FC Gold Pride games during 2009, Érika was made a free agent at the season's close by coach Albertin Montoya.

[5] She returned to Santos and was part of the club's 2009 Copa Libertadores Femenina-winning team in November 2009, scoring twice in the 9–0 final win over UAA.

[6] In early 2012, Santos' board of directors scrapped the women's section to save money after the club handed their male player Neymar a gigantic new contract.

But Santos' board refused to reverse their decision, claiming that the women's team cost $2,000,000 a year to run and provided no financial return.

[9] In August 2015 Érika and compatriot Cristiane made a double transfer to French UEFA Women's Champions League contenders Paris Saint-Germain Féminines.

[19] In November 2006, Érika made her senior international debut in Brazil's 6–1 South American Women's Football Championship win over Bolivia at Estadio José María Minella, Mar del Plata.

American players, supporters and media were unhappy that Érika appeared to exaggerate an injury during extra time to use up valuable seconds.

[24] Amidst allegations of a broken down bus plot,[25] Brazil lost their final group E game 1–0 to hosts Great Britain before a record crowd of 70,584 at Wembley Stadium.

[28] Érika arrived at Brazil's training camp for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup with a sprained ankle, then suffered a calf injury.

In a damning open letter, signed by 100 female athletes, she branded Brazil "a sexist and bigoted country that never believed in, accepted, or invested properly in women's football".

[37] One of Érika's coaches at youth level was Marcinha, a pioneering veteran of EC Radar and Brazil's 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup squad.