Marinho Chagas was born in
Natal, Rio Grande do Norte. He played left-back with
Botafogo FR of Rio and the
Brazil national team. He played the
Football World Cup 1974. He was a skilful and innovative right footed left back who was considered at the time one of the top players at his position. He was an attack minded full-back with a powerful shot, and is considered a pioneer, becoming very influential in helping the lateral position evolve into what it is in today's Brazilian football. He travelled the world and played for many different clubs in Brazil, the United States and Germany, always showing great skill and quality, but not settling anywhere for too long. His longest stint was with Botafogo, where he stayed four years from 1972 to 1976. He spent two years in the
North American Soccer League. In the first year, playing for the
New York Cosmos alongside
Carlos Alberto Torres and the German legend
Franz Beckenbauer, his club lost in the semifinal of the championship to eventual winners
Vancouver Whitecaps. Marinho scored 8 goals in his 24 matches that season. The following year, playing with German striker phenomenon
Gerd Müller for the
Fort Lauderdale Strikers in Florida, he scored three goals in 19 matches. The strikers finished the season as runners-up in the championship, losing the final 3–0 to the Cosmos. However, Marinho did not play in the
final. Back in Brazil he won with
São Paulo the
State Championship of São Paulo of 1981, the most notable title of his career, overcoming
AA Ponte Preta in the finals 1–1, 2–0. His personal performance in this year yield him a third
Bola de Prata of the specialist magazine
Placar. in 1985 He ended his career as player with a brief stint in Germany where he played in the lowest amateur division, the local "C-Klasse", alongside some outdated former minor
Bundesliga celebrities in
Augsburg for the short-lived
BC Harlekin, named after the chain of gambling halls operated by the quasi owner of the club, Mr Peter Eiba who had grand ideas to taking the club all the way to the first division. After his return to Natal, Marinho stood as
Liberal Party candidate for the city council, but was defeated. His release of the single with the song
Eu Sou Assim ("That's the way I am") did not enter him into a career in this sector. In 1991, he was hired to coach the
El Paso Patriots, an amateur team competing in the
Southwest Independent Soccer League. ==International career==