Bubista

In December 1995, Bubista joined Spanish Segunda División club Badajoz. Bubista eventually made his debut for the club on 4 May 1996, playing the full 90 minutes in a 3–0 win against Getafe. Bubista would make one final appearance for Badajoz a week later, coming on as a 60th minute substitute, replacing Pablo Zegarra, against Osasuna. In 1997, Bubista joined Angolan club ASA. Bubista played for ASA for six seasons, before returning to his native Cape Verde, joining Falcões do Norte in 2003.

Bubista made his debut for Cape Verde as a substitute in a 1–0 loss to Guinea in the semifinal of the 1989 Amílcar Cabral Cup. Bubista later captained the country, making a total of 21 appearances (sometimes listed as 28 appearances) for Cape Verde during his career.

Following his playing career, Bubista managed domestic Cape Verdean clubs Mindelense, Académica do Mindelo, Sporting Praia and Batuque. In January 2020, he was named manager of Cape Verde. He managed his nation to qualification for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations after a 1–0 away victory over Mozambique on the final matchday. He later guided the team to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, where they advanced to the quarterfinals. On 13 October 2025, he led Cape Verde to its first ever FIFA World Cup after a 3–0 home win against Eswatini. Doing so, Cape Verde became the second-smallest nation ever to reach the World Cup after Iceland did it in 2018. He was subsequently named the CAF Coach of the Year for 2025, at the CAF Awards 2025. In Cape Verde's first game of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Bubista's side held Spain to a scoreless draw, considered one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history, with Spain having been ranked 65 spots above Cape Verde by FIFA. Following a second upset, in a 2–2 draw with Uruguay and a second scoreless draw against Saudi Arabia, Bubista's Cape Verde qualified for the round of 32, where they were drawn against reigning champions Argentina. Despite taking Argentina to extra time, Cape Verde ultimately were eliminated in a 3–2 defeat, with Bubista speaking of his pride in his players and their representation of the nation. On 3 August 2026, Bubista became the head coach of Botola Pro club RS Berkane, signing a two-year contract.

International