Jardel Nivaldo Vieira was born on 29 March 1986 in Florianopolis, Brazil. He played for several Brazilian clubs as a young centre-back before moving to Portugal in 2008 with Estoril, and then Olhanense, where his performances earned a move to Benfica in January 2011.

He spent more than a decade at the club, initially spending time with the B team before establishing himself as a dependable and long-serving central defender and, in later years, as a senior figure in the dressing room. His last contract, signed on 21 September 2018, ran until 30 June 2021. In 2020/21 he was a squad member under Jorge Jesus, used as a rotation option in central defence in a season in which Benfica finished third in the Primeira Liga; he did not feature in 2021/22, having left the club when his contract expired.

He departed Benfica at the end of the 2020/21 season after ten and a half years with the club. He was not capped at senior international level by Brazil.