[5] Born in Belo Horizonte, Bernard began his professional career with hometown club Atlético Mineiro, where he won the 2013 Copa Libertadores.

[8] He made his debut with the club in the match against Uberaba, on 23 March 2011, playing in the right back position due to the squad's injury crisis at the time.

[16] He made his debut for the Ukrainian side on 31 August, coming on as a substitute for Douglas Costa, in the 1–1 draw with FC Metalist Kharkiv.

[18][19] Commenting on the 2014 Ukrainian Revolution, Bernard stated that he was willing to leave Shakhtar if the situation intensified, and had made arrangements for a potential emergency exit.

[28] On 22 July 2021, Bernard signed a two-year deal with UAE Pro League club Sharjah for a reported fee of €1 million.

[30] He was one of their best players On 5 February 2024, Atlético Mineiro announced an agreement with Bernard for his return to the club upon the expiration of his contract with Panathinaikos in July 2024.

[32] He made his debut for Brazil as a 74th-minute substitute for Lucas Marques on 21 November 2012, in the 2nd leg of the 2012 Superclásico de las Américas against Argentina, where the Seleção won the title on penalties.

He was selected in Brazil's squad for their hosting of the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, making his first appearance in the final group game against Italy for the last 20 minutes in place of Neymar.

After being regularly called up by manager Luiz Felipe Scolari, Bernard was named among the final 23-man squad ahead of 2014 FIFA World Cup on 7 May 2014.