Nélson was granted Portuguese citizenship in December 2005, and played in the 2006 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.
nˈeɪlsən wʌz ɡɹˈæntᵻd pˌoːɹtʃəɡˈiːz sˈɪɾɪzənʃˌɪp ɪn dᵻsˈɛmbɚ tˈuː θˈaʊzənd fˈaɪv, ænd plˈeɪd ɪnðə tˈuː θˈaʊzənd sˈɪks jˈuːfə jˌʊɹɹəpˈiən ˌʌndɚ twˈɛnti wˈʌn tʃˈæmpiənʃˌɪp.