Garrincha began playing barefoot in the state of Rio de Janeiro, and then started out professionally with Botafogo in 1953, where he played for 12 seasons. He won three Campeonato Carioca titles with Botafogo. He is the Campeonato Carioca all-time top goalscorer with 232 goals.
Garrincha featured in the Brazil national team from 1955 until 1966. Known for his superb ball control and dribbling, he helped Brazil win the FIFA World Cups of 1958 and 1962. In the 1958 World Cup final against Sweden, Garrincha scored the goal considered by FIFA as the second greatest goal in the tournament's history, a move now known as "O Drible da Copa" ("The Dribble of the Cup"). During the 1962 World Cup, he was declared the best player in the tournament, winning the Golden Ball. He was also a part of the Brazil squad which successfully defended the Jules Rimet Trophy at the 1962 FIFA World Cup in Chile, where he scored four goals.
After his professional playing career ended, Garrincha had a troubled life marked by alcoholism, depression and illness, which led to his premature death at the age of 49 in 1983. In a 1999 vote for FIFA Player of the Century, Garrincha finished eighth, behind six players who took part in the 1958 and 1962 World Cups (Pelé, Didi, Nílton Santos, George Best, Franz Beckenbauer and Johan Cruyff), and ahead of Ferenc Puskas. He was voted ninth in the magazine World Soccer's selection of the 100 Greatest Footballers of All Time. In July 2007, Garrincha was listed as one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century by Time magazine.
His son Dener also became a professional footballer.