Alex is a former captain of the Brazil national team and Turkish club Fenerbahçe; throughout his career, he also played for Coritiba, Palmeiras, Flamengo and Cruzeiro in Brazil, and Parma in the Italian Serie A. Alex is most prominent for his time at Fenerbahçe where he became the highest-scoring foreign player of all time in the Süper Lig.

[1] Born in Curitiba, Alex first played professionally for his hometown club Coritiba, where he stayed from 1995 until 97, when he was sold to Palmeiras, from São Paulo.

Cruzeiro won the Brazilian League (Brasileirão) with a record-breaking 100 points, 13 ahead of the second place, Santos, with more than 100 goals scored in 46 games.

[9] After Fenerbahçe's league title for the year 2010–11, Alex won the golden boot award with 28 goals for the season, nine more than second place Burak Yılmaz.

[29] Brazil won the tournament under manager Vanderlei Luxemburgo, with Alex and Ronaldinho being young replacements for Edílson and Leonardo who were dropped for disciplinary reasons.

[30] Days later at the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup in Mexico, he scored twice in a 4–0 opening win over Germany and twice again in an 8–2 semi-final rout of Saudi Arabia,[31][32] though his team lost the final to the hosts.

[34][35] At the 2001 Copa América in Colombia, Alex equalised in a 3–1 group win over Paraguay[36] as the team were again eliminated in a quarter-final shock, this time to Honduras.

[38] He was not chosen for the final tournament because of fitness issues, which Brazil won under manager Luiz Felipe Scolari, and confessed in his autobiography that he drank heavily to distract himself from the event, while his wife miscarried upon hearing that Ricardinho had been called up as a replacement for the injured Emerson and not her husband.

[39] Alex scored an added-time equaliser at the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup in France as Brazil drew 2–2 with Turkey in their final group game in Saint-Étienne, but were eliminated nonetheless.

[40] Brazil won the 2004 Copa América in Peru, in which captain Alex scored in a 4–0 quarter-final win against Mexico; he was then overlooked for the 2006 FIFA World Cup as well.

[1] A talented and creative playmaker, with an eye for goal, Alex usually played in a free role as an attacking midfielder.

Although he lacked significant pace and physical power, and was not particularly hard-working defensively, he was known for his passing, technical skills, control, low centre of gravity, vision, reading of the game, and ability to provide many assists for his teammates, in addition to being capable of scoring himself, in particular from set pieces.

[53] After his retirement, Alex started to work on ESPN Brasil as a pundit and presenter for interview show Papo Cabeça.