[2] Born in Belém but raised in Abaetetuba, Pará,[3] Giovanni started his career with lowly amateurs Taça Luz in 1990, and moved to Tuna Luso shortly after.

[4] After impressing in the youth setup, he made his first team debut in a 2–1 Copa do Brasil win over CSA, scoring a brace.

[5] In 1994, after a very brief period where he featured in two friendly matches for Paysandu (where he considered quitting the sport),[6] Giovanni played for Sãocarlense in the Campeonato Paulista Série A2.

[3] As his last match for Sãocarlense was televised, Giovanni impressed Santos president Samir Abdul-Hak, who decided to sign him on loan until the end of the year.

[17] On 18 June 1996, Giovanni moved abroad for the first time in his career, after signing with Spanish club Barcelona,[18] for a rumoured fee of US$ 7.8 million.

[21][22] Due to his poor relationship with van Gaal, Giovanni left for Greek club Olympiacos in the summer of 1999, for a record transfer fee of £10,800,000.

[26] During the season, he appeared in 29 games and scored four goals, but after only one match into the 2006 campaign, he was told to leave by manager Vanderlei Luxemburgo.

[30] In November 2008, after more than a year without playing, Giovanni was convinced to come out of retirement by his friend Rivaldo,[31] and signed for Mogi Mirim.

He was a member of the team that won the 1997 Copa América, and also represented his Country during the 1998 World Cup in France, where Brazil went on to reach the final, only to suffer a 3–0 defeat to the host nation.

He was predominantly known for his world-class technique, his exceptional dribbling skills, and his outstanding flair and creativity on the ball, which saw him employ a variety of crafty moves, as well as his passing accuracy and goalscoring ability.