His performances earned him a call up to the Brazil under-17 team, whom he helped win the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Cup held in Finland.

In January 2005, Ederson agreed to join French club OGC Nice, initially as a loan, after being approached by then-Nice manager Gernot Rohr who scouted the player through videotapes.

The 2006–07 season effectively brought Ederson into the limelight as he made a career-high 30 appearances and scored 6 goals, including a game winning penalty in the 90th minute against Marseille[4] and a brace against Bordeaux,[5] though Nice finished in 16th position.

Still, his dazzling performances caught the eye of several big clubs, notably Real Madrid, Manchester United,[6] Juventus, and Lazio,[7] to name a few.

He allegedly snubbed European heavyweights Manchester United and Real Madrid, according to Lyon chairman Jean-Michel Aulas.

Considered a perfect replacement for the aging Juninho, he was given the number 7 shirt and made his debut on the opening day of the season in a 3–0 victory over Toulouse coming on as a substitute in the 74th minute.

[15] He earned his first cap in a friendly game against the United States but unfortunately after a couple of minutes he got injured and was replaced immediately by Carlos Eduardo.