Wellington Rato was born in Japeri, Rio de Janeiro, and finished his formation with Audax. He made his senior debut with affiliate side Audax Rio in the 2012 Copa Rio, scoring eight goals for his side.
On 18 December 2018, Wellington Rato was presented at Série D's Joinville,[2] Roughty one year later, he moved to Ferroviário in the third division,[3] where he became a regular starter.
On 27 September 2020, Wellington Rato agreed to a contract with Atlético Goianiense of the Série A.[4] He made his top tier debut on 8 October, coming on as a second-half substitute for Chico in a 0–3 away loss against São Paulo.