He then played for São Paulo's youth teams from 2005 to 2009 but could not become professional, so he left the club and unsuccessfully tried to join rivals Santos and Palmeiras before returning to América.

In 2011, when he was prepared to give up on football, he was discovered by a Japanese university that was playing in Birigui, Brazil.

[3][5] After his graduation, Caio Lucas joined the J1 League club, the Kashima Antlers in 2014.

In his first professional season, under the coaching of Toninho Cerezo, Caio scored eight goals as Kashima Antlers qualified for the AFC Champions League.

[7][8] On 23 January 2020, Sharjah signed Caio Lucas from Benfica on loan for 18 months.