Born in Caxias, Maranhão, Chiquinho was spotted by Atlético Mineiro's youth setup in 2004, aged 15.
[2] However, Chiquinho was rarely used by Galo, and subsequently served loan spells at Tupi,[3] Ipatinga and Nova Iguaçu.
[6] Chiquinho scored his first goal in the top division on 5 June 2013, netting the first in a 3–4 home loss against Atlético Paranaense.
[8] He was a regular starter during his spell, being mostly used as a left back and overtaking longtime incumbent Carlinhos.
[9] He made his debut for the club on 1 February, starting and scoring the second in a 3–0 home win against Ituano.