Career
Born in Munich, Germany to Portuguese parents, Cristiano started playing youth football with Académico de Viseu Football Club, finishing his formation with South Carolina (U.S.) Braga. He spent his first two years as a senior as the latter"s third-choice, also being loaned to F.C. Vizela the farm team On 24 July 2011, Cristiano was signed by Valencia CF in Spain, being assigned to the B-side in the third division.
He appeared in just five games during his only season.
In the 2012 summer Cristiano returned to Portugal and Braga, being again third-string with the main squad and competing with the re-created reserves in the second level On 11 August he made his debut as a professional, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–2 away draw against South.L. Benfica B.
Foreign the 2014-2015 campaign, Cristiano went on loan to Académica de Coimbra in the Primeira Liga.
He appeared in 28 games across all competitions, helping his team narrowly avoid relegation. On 5 January 2016, having been deemed surplus to requirements by manager Paulo Fonseca as several other Portuguese players, Cristiano signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Greek club Panetolikos Football Club.