 Born in Nilópolis, São Paulo, Álvaro played for several Brazilian teams in quick succession to start his career, including two spells with São Paulo FC.In 2000 he was signed by UD Las Palmas in Spain, going on to spend three seasons with the club, two of those in La Liga.While in the Canary Islands he was found guilty of forging a European Union passport, spending several months during the 2001–02 campaign on the sidelines.