Born in São Paulo, Nilson joined Vasco da Gama's youth setup in 2010, after starting it out at Portuguesa.
[1] After being rarely used by Vasco, Nilson was loaned to Série B sides Criciúma,[2] Paraná[3] and Bragantino,[4] but appeared sparingly for all clubs, and was released in December 2013.
On 28 February 2014, Nilson joined Boa Esporte permanently,[5] but after again being a backup, moved to Icasa on 19 September.
[10] Nilson's spell at Peixe was mainly associated to his ugly late miss in the 2015 Copa do Brasil Final against Palmeiras, where he sent the ball wide as the goal was empty.
[13] In November 2020, Nilson joined Hong Kong Premier League club Pegasus.