Júnior was one of Brazilian football’s great attacking full-backs, an elegant and versatile figure who graced the Flamengo sides of the early 1980s. Comfortable surging forward or dictating from midfield, he combined defensive discipline with the flair expected of a Brazilian.
He was central to Flamengo’s Copa Libertadores and Intercontinental Cup triumphs and a mainstay of the celebrated Brazil national teams of the era.