He spent the longest spell of his career with Porto after signing in 2007, going on to appear in 237 competitive matches and win 12 major titles, including four Primeira Liga championships and the 2011 Europa League.

[5] In the 2008–09 season, having returned to Porto, Fernando was an ever-present midfield fixture alongside the established Lucho González and Raul Meireles,[6][7] as the northerners achieved a fourth consecutive Primeira Liga title.

[8] He continued to be a starter when healthy, appearing in 41 competitive games during the 2010–11 campaign (including two goals in nearly 3,000 minutes of action)[9][10] as his team won the treble.

[18] On 4 May, he scored an own goal after 20 minutes of the UEFA Champions League semi-final fixture against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu – the first time the club coached by Manuel Pellegrini had reached that stage[19]– in an eventual 1–0 loss (also on aggregate).

[22] On 4 August 2017, Fernando signed with Galatasaray on a three-year contract for an initial fee of €5.25 million; in a note published on the Turkish club's official website, it was confirmed that the payment would ascend based on the accomplishment of certain performance variables during his spell.

[41] Fernando was in the Brazil under-20 squad at the 2007 South American Youth Championship, where he was sent off in the second round against Chile for assaulting referee Albert Duarte,[42] as the nation went on to win the tournament in Paraguay.

[46] Despite this, under article 8.1 of the governing body's statutes, he was only eligible to represent Brazil internationally as he previously played for that country at under-20 level and did not hold Portuguese citizenship at that time.