He spent most of his professional career in Portugal, amassing Primeira Liga totals of 138 games and four goals for Vitória Setúbal, Académica, Belenenses and União de Leiria.

In the 2001–02 season, Alcântara moved to Portugal with Vitória de Setúbal, going on to appear in an average of 26 league matches in his four-year spell – 2003–04 was spent in the second division, with promotion – and helping the Sadinos win the 2005 domestic cup against S.L.

Benfica (he played the full 90 minutes in the 2–1 final win);[1] he spent 2005–06 with fellow Primeira Liga team Académica de Coimbra, only missing seven contests during the campaign for an eventual 13th-place finish.

Os Belenenses, where he was punished with a three-game ban for slapping Kostas Katsouranis of Benfica across the face,[2] Alcântara joined a host of Portuguese (or Portugal-based) players at Romanian side CFR Cluj.

He made his Liga I debut on 26 October 2008 in a 1–2 away loss against FC Politehnica Timișoara, and proceeded to be relatively used during his stint as they won five major titles, including the 2010 national championship with 22 appearances and three goals from the player.