Cris

Early career

Cris spent a three-year spell in São Paulo playing for Corinthians (1995–98) before joining Cruzeiro. There, he won his first cap for the national team, playing on 4 April 1999 against the United States in Brasília (a match won 7–0 by Brazil). In 2000, Brazilian magazine Placar named Cris as the leading player in his position during the Brazilian Championship, awarding him the Silver Ball title. In 2002, he secured a transfer to Europe, moving to Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen. This move, however, did not prove successful as he struggled to adapt to his new surroundings both on and off the field. The following year saw him return to his native country, rejoining Cruzeiro as part of their Brazilian championship-winning team of that year.

Lyon

In August 2004, Cris left Brazil once more, this time moving to Lyon for a transfer fee close to €3.5 million. Having been involved in a brawl during a match in June earlier that year, Cris ran the risk of a six-month suspension that the Brazilian Football Confederation eventually decided not to extend to matches outside of Brazil. This affair, along with the physical duel he enjoyed with Thierry Henry during the France–Brazil international at the Stade de France on 20 May 2004, earned Cris the reputation of a rough, rugged defender. After an unconvincing first spell in Europe, Cris quickly imposed himself at the heart of Lyon's defense. His first season in Ligue 1 saw the club crowned league champions…

Cris earned 17 caps with the Brazil national team, the first earned in July 2001. Later that month he played at the 2001 Copa América, in which his team lost in the quarter-finals to Honduras. His only goal for Brazil came in a 6–0 friendly victory over Bolivia on 31 January 2002. He was a regular under incoming manager Luiz Felipe Scolari, who had coached him at Cruzeiro, but was excluded from the 2002 FIFA World Cup squad that ended up winning the tournament due to receiving too many red cards for his club; Scolari filled his place with Ânderson Polga but preferred to start Roque Júnior, Lúcio and Edmílson. Cris was chosen for the 2004 Copa América; he came on as a substitute in the final against Argentina, replacing Luisão for the final eight minutes and the penalty shootout victory, in which he was not chosen to shoot. He was a late addition to the 2006 FIFA World Cup squad in Germany due to Roque Júnior's injury. Having not played since a game with Russia on 1 March 2006 – including at the World Cup – Cris was recalled to the Brazil squad in November 2009 for friendlies against Oman and England in Qatar. He was called up by Dunga due to issues with other centre-backs, including Juan not being allowed to travel by A.S. Roma, Luisão's appendicitis, Thiago Silva's document issues and Naldo's injury. On 17 November, he played as a substitute in a 2–0 win over Oman in his final game.

Cris returned to Lyon, initially as under-15 manager, before taking the under-19 team in 2016–17. In 2017–18, he led the reserve team in the fourth-tier Championnat National 2, before leaving the club in June 2018. A year later, he was hired at Monts d'Or Azergues in the same division. On 31 May 2021, Cris signed for Le Mans in the third-tier Championnat National. He was sacked on 11 November 2022 with the club 13th after 11 games, and following elimination from the Coupe de France by Union sportive Fougères from two leagues below. Days after his exit from Le Mans, Cris was hired by Versailles in the same league. He won 2–0 away to Villefranche on his debut on 25 November 2022, and set a target of promotion to Ligue 2. He quit the club at the end of the season, having missed his aim by finishing fifth. On 28 October 2024, Cris was hired at Châteauroux, last-placed in the Championnat National. In February, before a game against Quevilly-Rouen, he made a speech to his players in which he likened winning a game to having sex with women; a video was posted to the club's social media accounts, for which he and the club apologised. He left at the end of the season, with his team having been relegated.

Club

International