Born in São João do Araguaia, Pará, Tiago Alves graduated from Santos' youth setup.
He made his professional debut on 2 February 2011, coming on as a second half substitute for Keirrison in a 2–2 away draw against Ponte Preta for the Campeonato Paulista championship.
[4] Tiago Alves made his debut for the club on 15 March, coming on as a second-half substitute and scoring his side's second in a 2–4 home loss against Ulsan Hyundai FC.
On 1 August 2016, Thiago Alves transferred to Al-Hilal FC, signing a 3 year contract for an undisclosed fee.
In March 2017 Shimizu S-Pulse announced the signing of Tiago Alves on a season-long loan from Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal.