Born in Recife, Pernambuco, João Victor joined Santa Cruz's youth setup at the age of ten.
[1] He made his first team – and Série A – debut on 11 December 2016, coming on as a half-time substitute for Marcílio in a 0–5 away loss against São Paulo, as his side was already relegated.
[2] After spending the 2018 campaign on loan at Rio Verde and subsequently playing for Santa Cruz's under-23s, João Victor renewed his contract until 2023 on 26 February 2019, after starting to feature more regularly.
[4] On 20 December 2019, João Victor was bought outright by Vitória, after the club acquired 50% of his economic rights.
[5] After five players from his position left for the ensuing campaign, he became a regular starter.