Madeira graduated to the main Portuguese Rally Championship in 1992, where he won the Citroën AX Trophy.

[1] In 1995, Madeira started an international career, taking part in the seven rounds of the World Rally Championship.

[2] In the following years, he participated in several WRC events as a privateer, usually in Toyota or Subaru cars, winning the 1996 Rally of Portugal.

Madeira returned to the Portuguese national championship in 2000, as a works driver driving a SEAT Cordoba WRC.

In 2001 and 2002, he switched to a works Ford Focus WRC, retiring at the end of the season, making sporadic appearances afterwards.