At club level, Cafu won several domestic and international titles while playing in Brazil, Spain, and Italy; he is best known for his spells at São Paulo (1989–1995), Roma (1997–2003), and AC Milan (2003–08), teams with which he made history, although he also played briefly for Zaragoza, Juventude, and Palmeiras during a two-year spell from 1995 to 1997. In 1994, Cafu was crowned South American Footballer of the Year, and in 2004, was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players. He was additionally named to the FIFPro World XI in 2005, and in 2020 was included in the Ballon d'Or Dream Team.

Cafu represented his nation in four FIFA World Cups between 1994 and 2006, and is the only player in history to have appeared in three World Cup finals, both overall and consecutive, winning the 1994 and 2002 editions of the tournament, the latter as his team's captain where he lifted the World Cup trophy. With Brazil, he also took part in four editions of the Copa América, winning the title twice, in 1997 and 1999; he was also a member of the national side that won the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup.

Cafu numbers were signed in London during the 2024 Champions League Final weekend. See proof photos. Comes with COA.