Matuzalém began his career at Salvador-based Vitória and quickly established his place in lower level of the Brazil national team.
[3] Following his Napoli spell, Matuzalém was bought back by Parma, subsequently reselling half of his rights to Piacenza in another co-ownership deal in the summer of 2001, for 6 billion Lire (€3,098,741).
[6])[7] Matuzalém stayed at Piacenza alongside Amauri, Nicola Mora and Matteo Guardalben, all of which were also partly owned by Parma.
[10] On 2 July 2007, Matuzalém notified in writing Shakhtar of the fact that he unilaterally terminated their contractual relationship with immediate effect.
[10] The actual phrasing in the contract, however, stated that Shakhtar would be under an obligation to release him if the new club offered to pay that amount.
During his only season with the club, he featured scarcely, due to a ligament injury he sustained in September 2007; in total, he obtained 14 appearances, scoring a single goal in La Liga.
[10][13] On 19 March 2008, however, Shakhtar appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), as the club perceived the fee set by FIFA DRC as too low.
[17] In July 2008, Matuzalém returned to Italy after four years, joining Lazio on a season-long loan[18] with an option to buy at the end of the season for €13 million (plus VAT).
[10] Injuries plagued his season, though when fit he established a place for himself in the centre of the Lazio midfield alongside Cristian Ledesma.
He claimed some silverware as Lazio won their fifth Coppa Italia, however a booking in the semi-final against Juventus meant he missed the final victory against Sampdoria.
[27] Matuzalém signed with Miami FC of the North American Soccer League (NASL) on 20 January 2016.
[29] Following his spell in the United States, Matuzalém returned to Italy and was assigned by Nuova Monterosi in December 2016, a Serie D team based in Lazio, who were playing in group G at the time.
He was a member of the Brazil U17 team that won the 1997 FIFA U-17 World Championship in Brazil, and also took part at the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship with the U20 side; in the former tournament, he played a key role in his team's success, scoring three goals in six games, including the decisive goal in the final victory.
[3][9] Described as a "classic playmaker" in the Italian media, Matuzalém is an energetic offensive–minded midfielder, known in particular for his passing, creativity, and technique, as well as his tactical intelligence, which earned him the nickname "The Professor".