Career
Coelho"s career began as a beach soccer referee. Became professional in 1965 (at one time, famously, telling reporters that he was the highest paid match official in the world) and was appointed to the international list in 1968. He was selected for both the 1978 and 1982 son
In total he officiated in seven matches during the World Cup finals, three as a referee (the mentioned final from 1982 included).
After the end of his refereeing career, he became a soccer television commentator for Rede Globo. In March 2010, the The Daily Mail newspaper reporter Graham Poll listed Coelho as one of the top referees, citing his excellent performance in the 1978 and 1982 World Cups.