His play at Portuguesa brought him international attention, and he eventually landed in Monterrey, Mexico - where he signed for UANL Tigres.
At Tigres, Soares quickly consolidated himself as a key part of an offense that featured Argentine standouts Walter Gaitan and Néstor Andrés Silvera, as well as Brazilian striker Kleber.
Soares was part of a Tigres team that reached the Apertura 2003 finals against eventual champions CF Pachuca.
The following season, Soares played 15 games and scored one goal, mostly coming on as a substitute, due to the strength of the team's roster.
With his lone goal that season, Soares reached 30 scores in his 3.5 years playing in the Mexican league.