Marco Paulo was born in Luanda. He made his senior debut with F.C. Alverca in the Segunda Liga as they acted as S.L. Benfica's farm team, and subsequently moved to the lower leagues where he represented three clubs, helping G.D. Estoril Praia return to the second tier at the end of the 2002–03 season with a career-best 16 goals in 35 games.
