Born in Rio de Janeiro, Rafael Carioca joined Grêmio's youth setup in 2006, from Profute. Promoted to the first team after captaining the under-20 side in the 2008 Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior by Vágner Mancini, he was subsequently relegated back to the youth sides, as the manager complained about his attitude. Promoted back to the main squad in March 2008 by new manager Celso Roth, Rafael Carioca made his first team debut on 26 March, coming on as a substitute for Nunes in a 4–1 Campeonato Gaúcho away routing of 15 de Novembro. He made his Série A debut on 10 May, starting in a 1–0 away win against São Paulo, and finished the campaign as a first-choice in the central midfield, creating a strong partnership with William Magrão and appearing in 34 matches.
In December 2008, Rafael Carioca joined Russian club FC Spartak Moscow on a five-year contract. He made his debut abroad on 15 March, starting in a 1–1 home draw against FC Zenit Saint Petersburg. Rafael Carioca spent the 2010 season on loan at Vasco da Gama, being an undisputed starter. Upon returning, he also became a first-choice, and scored his first professional goal on 6 May 2012, netting the winner in a 3–2 away defeat of Zenit.
On 13 August 2014, Rafael Carioca returned to his home country after being presented at Atlético Mineiro, agreeing to a year-long loan deal. Upon arriving, he became a first-choice player in Atlético's team that went on to win that year's Copa do Brasil, overcoming longtime incumbent. Rafael Carioca had a solid start in the following season, which included an impressive goal against Colo-Colo in the Copa Libertadores and a Campeonato Mineiro win, again as a part of the team's starting eleven. On 21 July 2015, Atlético bought 50% of Rafael Carioca's federative rights, agreeing to a permanent four-year deal.
Tigres UANL
On 25 August 2017, Rafael Carioca joined Liga MX club Tigres UANL. In his first season, he played the historical final against rivals C.F. Monterrey. In the first leg the teams tied by 1–1 at the Estadio Universitario. In the Estadio BBVA Bancomer, Tigres beat Monterrey by 2–1 with goals of Edu Vargas and Francisco Meza, as Rafael Carioca played a key role by assisting Meza with a cross from the right wing to score the second goal.
