Born in Praia, Cape Verde one year before the nation gained independence from Portugal, Dos Santos migrated to France at a very young age, and started his professional career at AS Monaco FC.
[3] The first-choice during his debut campaign, as the Lisbon-based side ended an 11-year drought in the league, he appeared rarely in the following season, and left in the January 2006 transfer window.
Dos Santos then returned to former club Monaco, where he replaced Manchester United-bound Patrice Evra after signing a 1+1⁄2-year link.
In July 2007, Dos Santos moved to RC Strasbourg, where he spent one year before announcing his retirement from the game in February 2009, aged 35.
Shortly after, however, he signed with amateurs Rapid de Menton, close to where he had fixed his residence in Monaco.