Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Botafogo

Full name

Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas

Nickname(s)

Fogo (Fire)
Estrela Solitária (The Lone Star)
O Glorioso (The Glorious One)
Alvinegro Carioca (Rio's Black and White)
O Mais Tradicional (The Most Traditional) “Campeão da América”

Founded

12 August 1904; 120 years ago, as a football club

Stadium

Estádio Olímpico Nilton Santos

Capacity

46,831

SAF Owner

John Textor (90%)

President

Durcesio Mello

Head coach

Artur Jorge

League

Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
Campeonato Carioca

Copa Libertadores FIFA Intercontinental Cup FIFA Club World Cup

Recopa Sudamericana

2022
2022

Série A, 11th of 20
Carioca, 4th of 12

Home colors

Away colors

Third colors

Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas is a famous Brazilian sports club from Rio de Janeiro. While they play many sports, they are best known for their amazing football (soccer) team. Botafogo plays in the top Brazilian league, the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. They also play in the main league for the state of Rio de Janeiro.

In 2000, FIFA Magazine subscribers voted Botafogo 12th in the world for the FIFA Club of the Century. The club has won the Brazilian championship twice, in 1968 and 1995. They also won the 2024 Copa Libertadores, a huge South American tournament.

Botafogo holds some impressive records in Brazilian football. They went 52 games without losing between 1977 and 1978. They also have the record for the most players called up to the Brazilian national team for World Cups. In 1909, Botafogo achieved the biggest win in Brazilian football history, beating Sport Club Mangueira 24–0!

Club History

How Botafogo Started

On July 1, 1894, a club called Club de Regatas Botafogo was created in Rio de Janeiro. This club focused on rowing.

The 1906 football team.

Later, on August 12, 1904, another club was formed by students from Alfredo Gomes College. They first called it the Electro Club. Soon after, on September 18, it became the Botafogo Football Club. Its colors were black and white, like the Italian team Juventus FC. The club quickly became one of Rio de Janeiro's strongest football teams. They won championships in 1907, 1910, and 1912.

The Big Merger

Both clubs had the same name, were in the same area, and had the same fans. It seemed like they were meant to be one. This finally happened on December 8, 1942. After a basketball game where a player named Armando Albano sadly passed away, the idea of joining forces came up.

The president of Club de Regatas Botafogo, Augusto Frederico Schmidt, said that Albano's team won his last game. He then asked, "What else do we need for our clubs to become one?" This led to the creation of Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas. The football club's badge changed to black, and the rowing club's "lone star" became part of it.

On the Field: Key Wins

The team that won its first Campeonato Carioca in 1907.

The team of 1910.

The team won the state championship (Campeonato Carioca) in 1907, 1910, and 1912. In 1909, they had their record-breaking 24–0 win against Mangueira. More state titles followed in the 1930s: 1930, 1932, 1933, 1934, and 1935.

In 1930, Botafogo won its 4th Carioca title.

In the 1940s, after the merger, Heleno de Freitas was a star player. He scored 204 goals for Botafogo. In 1948, the club won its 9th state championship.

Botafogo won more state titles in 1957, 1961, and 1962. In 1968, they made history by winning the Serie A, becoming the first club from Rio to win the Brazilian league.

After 21 years without a major title, Botafogo won the state championship again in 1989 and 1990. In the 1990s, they won the Copa Conmebol (an older version of the Copa Sudamericana). In 1995, they won the Brazilian League for the second time.

In 2002, Botafogo was moved down to the Second Division. But they quickly bounced back, finishing second in 2003 and returning to the First Division. They won the Rio de Janeiro State Championship again in 2006, 2010, and 2013, with famous players like Loco Abreu and Clarence Seedorf.

In 2020, Botafogo had a tough year and was moved down to the Second Division again. However, they are the only club to have won titles in three different centuries, including a rowing championship in 1899!

The SAF Era: A New Chapter

In 2020, Botafogo started to change how its football team was run. They decided to make it a separate company, which could be partly sold to investors. This was a new law in Brazil for football clubs.

In 2021, Botafogo faced financial challenges. But they hired a new manager, Enderson Moreira, who helped them win the Second Division and return to the top league. This was their second Second Division title.

Meanwhile, the club worked with XP Inc. to find buyers for their football company. In January 2022, American investor John Textor, who also owns part of Premier League club Crystal Palace F.C., bought 90% of Botafogo's football division. This started a new era for the club.

Textor brought in a new coach, Luís Castro, in March 2022. Botafogo finished 11th in the league that year, earning a spot in the 2023 Copa Sudamericana.

In the 2023 Brazilian Championship, Botafogo surprised everyone by leading the league for a long time. However, after their coach Luís Castro left, and new coaches came and went, the team's performance dropped. They ended up finishing 5th, missing out on automatic qualification for the Copa Libertadores. Despite this, the club's overall debt has been reduced.

Home Stadium

Voluntários da Pátria Street Stadium (1909).

General Severiano entrance.

Botafogo's main home stadium is the Estádio Olímpico Nilton Santos. It's named after Nilton Santos, a legendary former player and two-time World Cup winner for Brazil. Fans often call it Engenhão, after the neighborhood where it's located. This stadium was built for the 2007 Pan American Games and also hosted events for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Over the years, Botafogo has played in other stadiums:

*Voluntários da Pátria Street Field*: The club's first field.
*Estádio General Severiano*: The club's first stadium that they owned.
*Estádio Mané Garrincha (Rio de Janeiro)*: Used for some matches.
*Estádio Caio Martins*: Located in the nearby city of Niterói.
*Estádio Luso Brasileiro*: Used during the 2005 and 2016 seasons.

Estádio Olímpico Nilton Santos, home of Botafogo.

Club Rivals

Botafogo has big rivalries with other major clubs in Rio: Fluminense, Flamengo, and Vasco da Gama.

The "Grandfather Derby" (Clássico Vovô) is against Fluminense. It's the oldest derby in Brazilian football, with the first game played in 1905.
The "Friendship Derby" (Clássico da Amizade) is with Vasco da Gama. Fans of these two clubs have historically been friendly, and these matches are usually less violent.
The "Rivalry Derby" against Flamengo is Botafogo's biggest and most intense rivalry. Both clubs and their fans strongly dislike each other. Players who perform well in these games often become club heroes. Famous players like Garrincha and Jairzinho are remembered for their performances in this derby.

Botafogo also has a historic rivalry with Santos FC from outside Rio, which started in the 1960s.

Club Symbols

Historical badges.

The Lone Star

The Estrela Solitária (Lone Star) is a key symbol on Botafogo's flag and crest. It was originally the main symbol of the Club de Regatas Botafogo. When the two clubs merged, the Lone Star became very important for the football team. It was meant to represent the planet Venus, also known as the Morning Star, which rowing athletes often saw at sunrise during their early practices.

The Flag

Flag of Botafogo Football Club since its foundation, in 1904.
When merged with Club de Regatas Botafogo, in 1943, the flag of the football club was adopted in new Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas.

The old Club de Regatas Botafogo flag was white with a small black square holding the Lone Star. The Botafogo Football Club had a flag with nine black and white stripes and its crest in the middle. When they merged, the new Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas flag combined elements from both. It has five black and four white stripes, with a black square in the top left corner featuring the Lone Star.

The Uniform

Botafogo's main uniform is a black jersey with white vertical stripes, black shorts, and grey socks. Their second uniform is all white. Sometimes, they also use an all-black uniform. While the socks are usually grey, they can also be black or white on rare occasions.

Club Mascots

Manequinho, the mascot of the club.

Botafogo's mascot is Manequinho. This mascot is based on a statue near the club's headquarters, which fans sometimes dress in a Botafogo jersey. In 1948, a stray dog named Biriba became a lucky mascot, helping the team win the Campeonato Carioca. The first mascot idea was Donald Duck, drawn wearing a Botafogo jersey in the 1940s, but this was never made official.

Club Achievements

The Brazilian Championship trophy won by Botafogo in 1995.

Botafogo holds several impressive records in Brazilian football. They have the most unbeaten matches (52 games between 1977 and 1978) and the most unbeaten games in the Brazilian Championship (42, also in 1977-1978). The club also has the most players who have played for the Brazil national team in official and unofficial games (1,094 participations). They also hold the record for the most players chosen for the Brazil national team in World Cups.

Continental Titles
Competitions	Titles	Seasons
Copa Libertadores	1	2024
Copa CONMEBOL	1	1993
National Titles
Competitions	Titles	Seasons
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A	2	1968, 1995
Campeonato Brasileiro Série B	2^s	2015, 2021
Inter-state Titles
Competitions	Titles	Seasons
Torneio Rio–São Paulo	4	1962, 1964, 1966, 1998
State Titles
Competitions	Titles	Seasons
Campeonato Carioca	21	1907, 1910, 1912, 1930, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1948, 1957, 1961, 1962, 1967, 1968, 1989, 1990, 1997, 2006, 2010, 2013, 2018

record
^s shared record

Other Trophies

Inter-state

Taça dos Campeões Estaduais Rio–São Paulo (2): 1930, 1961

State

Taça Guanabara (8): 1967, 1968, 1997, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2015
Taça Rio (9): 1989, 1997, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2023, 2024
Other Campeonato Carioca rounds (2): 1975, 1976
Campeonato da Capital do Rio de Janeiro Copa Rio stage (1): 1995
Torneio Municipal (2): 1951, 1996
Torneio Extra (1): 1958
Torneio Início (8): 1916, 1924 (AMEA), 1925, 1940, 1941, 1943, 1954, 1956, 1965

Friendly Tournaments

Brazil-Colombia Trophy (1): 1954
Colombia International Tournament (1): 1960
Costa Rica Triangular Tournament (1): 1961
Mexico City International Tournament (2): 1962, 1968
Tournoi de Paris (1): 1963
La Paz Football Association Golden Jubilee Tournament (1): 1964
Ibero-American Tournament (1): 1964
Panamaribo Cup (1): 1964
Sports Newspapers Circle Cup (1): 1966
Carranza Cup of Buenos Aires (1): 1966
Lima City Cup (1): 1967
Caracas Triangular Trophy (3): 1967, 1968, 1970
Geneva Tournament (1): 1984
Bern Tournament (1): 1985
Costa Rica Pentagonal Tournament (1): 1986
Troféu Ciudad de Palma de Mallorca (1): 1988
Vera Cruz Friendship Tournament (1): 1990
Xerox Super Cup (1): 1991
Torneio Internacional Triangular Eduardo Paes (1): 1994
Nippon Ham Cup (1): 1996
III Tournament of President of Russia (1): 1996
Teresa Herrera Trophy (1): 1996
Copa Peregrino (1): 2008

Runners-up (Second Place)

Recopa Sudamericana (1): 1994
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A (3): 1962, 1972, 1992
Copa do Brasil (1): 1999
Campeonato Brasileiro Série B (1): 2003
Torneio Rio–São Paulo (3): 1960, 1961, 2001
Campeonato Carioca (21): 1908, 1909, 1913, 1914, 1916, 1918, 1939, 1942, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1975, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2016

Current Players

Main Squad

No.	Position	Player
1	GK	Gatito Fernández (vice-captain)
2	DF	Rafael
3	DF	Lucas Halter
4	DF	Mateo Ponte
5	MF	Danilo Barbosa
6	MF	Tchê Tchê (captain)
7	FW	Luiz Henrique
9	FW	Tiquinho
10	FW	Jefferson Savarino
11	FW	Júnior Santos
12	GK	John
13	DF	Alex Telles
15	DF	Bastos
16	DF	Hugo
17	MF	Marlon Freitas
20	DF	Alexander Barboza
21	DF	Marçal
22	DF	Vitinho
23	MF	Thiago Almada

No.	Position	Player
25	MF	Kauê
26	MF	Gregore
27	FW	Carlos Alberto
28	MF	Allan
30	GK	Lucas Barreto
33	MF	Carlos Eduardo
34	DF	Adryelson (on loan from Lyon)
37	FW	Matheus Martins
38	DF	Jefferson Maciel
47	FW	Jeffinho (on loan from Lyon)
66	DF	Cuiabano
67	FW	Yarlen
70	MF	Óscar Romero
79	FW	Fabiano
90	FW	Matheus Nascimento
91	DF	Pablo (on loan from Flamengo)
97	GK	Raul
99	FW	Igor Jesus

Youth Academy and Players on Loan

No.	Position	Player
48	MF	Rhuan
49	FW	Sapata
63	DF	Serafim
72	DF	Luís Octávio
76	DF	Devid

No.		Position	Player
		DF	Esteban Espinosa
		MF	Bernardo Valim
		MF	JP Galvão
		FW	Darius Lewis

No.		Position	Player
		GK	Igo Gabriel (to Confiança until 30 November 2024)
		GK	João Fernando (to São Bento until 31 October 2024)
		DF	Daniel Borges (to América Mineiro until 31 December 2024)
		DF	Henrique Vermudt (to Ferroviário until 30 November 2024)
		DF	Kawan (to Estrela da Amadora until 30 June 2025)
		DF	Luis Segovia (to CRB until 30 November 2024)
		DF	Philipe Sampaio (to Atlético Goianiense until 31 December 2024)
		DF	Vitor Marinho (to ABC until 30 November 2024)
		MF	Breno (to São Bernardo until 30 November 2024)
		MF	Diego Hernández (to León until 30 June 2025)

No.		Position	Player
		MF	Luís Oyama (to Juventude until 31 December 2024)
		MF	Newton (to Criciúma until 31 December 2024)
		MF	Patrick de Paula (at Criciúma until 31 December 2024)
		MF	Raí (to CRB until 30 November 2024)
		FW	Chay (to CRB until 30 November 2024)
		FW	Emerson Urso (to Vila Nova until 30 November 2024)
		FW	Gustavo Sauer (to Cuiabá until 31 December 2024)
		FW	Matías Segovia (to Al-Ain until 30 June 2025)
		FW	Valentín Adamo (to Union Española until 31 December 2024)

Club Staff

Position	Staff
Head Coach	Artur Jorge
Assistant Head Coach	Joel Carli (interim)
Fitness Coach	Diogo Missena
First-Team Goalkeeper Coach	Marcelo Grimaldi Ricardo Herrera
Analysis and observation	Alfie Assis Rodrigo Mira Vinícius Bispo

Club Records

World Best Players from Botafogo
#	Name	Year
1.	Didi	1958
2.	Garrincha	1962

World Cup Champions from Botafogo
#	Name	Year
1.	Nílton Santos	1958, 1962
2.	Didi	1958, 1962
3.	Garrincha	1958, 1962
4.	Amarildo	1962
5.	Zagallo	1962
6.	Jairzinho	1970
7.	Paulo Cezar Caju	1970
8.	Roberto Miranda	1970

Carvalho Leite, one of the greatest players of the 1930s and the 2nd top scorer in club history with 261 goals.

Most Appearances for Botafogo
#	Name	Matches	Goals	Years Played
1.	Nílton Santos	723	11	1948–64
2.	Garrincha	612	243	1953–65
3.	Jefferson	459	*	2003–2005 and 2009–2018
4.	Valtencir	453	6	1967–76
5.	Quarentinha	444	306	1954–64
6.	Manga	442	*	1959–68
7.	Carlos Roberto	442	15	1967–76
8.	Geninho	422	115	1940–54
9.	Jairzinho	413	186	1962–74, 1981
10.	Wágner	412	*	1993–02
11.	Osmar	387	4	1970–79
12.	Juvenal	384	12	1946–57
13.	Gérson dos Santos	371	2	1945–56
14.	Wilson Gottardo	354	13	1987–90, 1994–96
15.	Roberto Miranda	352	154	1962–73
16.	Pampolini	347	27	1955–62
17.	Mendonça	340	116	1975–82
	* goalkeeper.

Garrincha playing for Botafogo in a 2–0 win against Barcelona in the 1964 Copa Iberoamericana at Buenos Aires.

Most Goals for Botafogo
#	Name	Goals	Matches	Goals per Match
1.	Quarentinha	306	444	0,68
2.	Carvalho Leite	261	303	0,86
3.	Garrincha	243	612	0,39
4.	Heleno de Freitas	209	235	0,88
5.	Nilo	190	201	0,94
6.	Jairzinho	186	413	0,45
7.	Octávio Moraes	171	200	0,85
8.	Túlio Maravilha	159	223	0,71
9.	Roberto Miranda	154	352	0,43
10.	Dino da Costa	144	176	0,81
11.	Amarildo	136	231	0,58
12.	Paulinho Valentim	135	206	0,65
13.	Nílson Dias	127	301	0,42
14.	Mendonça	116	340	0,34
15.	Geninho	115	422	0,27
16.	Didi	114	313	0,36
17.	Zezinho	110	174	0,63
18.	Paschoal	105	158	0,66
19.	Patesko	102	242	0,42
20.	Gérson	96	248	0,39

Note: numbers do not count matches played in Torneio Início.
Source: RSSSF Brasil – Botafogo

Club Managers

Carvalho Leite (1941–42), (1942–43)
Martim Silveira (1944), (1946)
Ondino Viera (1947)
Zezé Moreira (1 January 1948 – 31 December 1948)
Carvalho Leite (1950–51), (1951–52)
Sylvio Pirillo (1952)
Martim Silveira (1952–53)
Zezé Moreira (1954–55), (1955–56)
João Saldanha (1957–59)
Paulo Amaral (1959–61)
Danilo Alvim (1963)
Mário Zagallo (1966–70)
Paulinho de Almeida (1971)
Paulo Amaral (1973)
Mário Zagallo (1975)
Telê Santana (1976)
Paulo Amaral (1976)
Othon (1976–78)
Mário Zagallo (1978)
Othon (1980)
Paulinho de Almeida (1981)
Zé Mário (1 January 1982 – 30 June 1982)
Mário Zagallo (1986–87)
Jair Pereira (1988), (1996)
Valdir Espinosa (1989), (1990–91)
Othon (1993)
Valdir Espinosa (1998–99)
Mauro Fernandes (5 July 1999 – 12 August 1999)
Carlos Alberto Torres (16 August 1999 – 12 September 1999)
Antônio Clemente (14 September 1999 – 30 November 1999)
Joel Santana (1 January 2000 – 7 September 2000)
Antônio Clemente (8 September 2000 – 21 November 2000)
Sebastião Lazaroni (27 November 2000 – 11 April 2001)
Dé Aranha (12 April 2001 – 12 May 2001)
Paulo Autuori (1 June 2001 – 13 October 2001)
Abel Braga (14 October 2001 – 8 July 2002)
Arthur Bernardes (9 July 2002 – 22 August 2002)
Abel Braga (22 August 2002 – 22 September 2002)
Ivo Wortmann (22 September 2002 – 9 November 2002)
Carlos Alberto Torres (9 November 2002 – 19 November 2002)
Levir Culpi (27 December 2002 – 25 April 2004)
Mauro Galvão (19 May 2004 – 16 August 2004)
Paulo Bonamigo (17 August 2004 – 23 March 2005)
Paulo César Gusmão (26 March 2005 – 30 June 2005)
Péricles Chamusca (1 July 2005 – 28 August 2005)
Celso Roth (30 August 2005 – 4 December 2005)
Carlos Roberto (4 December 2005 – 21 May 2006)
Cuca (22 May 2006 – 27 September 2007)
Mário Sérgio (28 September 2007 – 6 October 2007)
Cuca (7 October 2007 – 29 May 2008)
Geninho (30 May 2008 – 11 June 2008)
Ney Franco (11 July 2008 – 10 August 2009)
Estevam Soares (12 August 2009 – 25 January 2010)
Joel Santana (26 January 2010 – 22 March 2011)
Caio Júnior (23 March 2011 – 17 November 2011)
Oswaldo de Oliveira (2 January 2012 – 9 December 2013)
Eduardo Hungaro (2 January 2014 – 11 April 2014)
Vágner Mancini (15 April 2014 – 10 December 2014)
René Simões (14 December 2014 – 15 July 2015)
Ricardo Gomes (22 July 2015 – 12 August 2016)
Jair Ventura (10 May 2016 – 18 December 2017)
Felipe Conceição (1 January 2018 – 28 February 2018)
Alberto Valentim (3 March 2018 – 19 June 2018)
Marcos Paquetá (26 June 2018 – 2 August 2018)
Zé Ricardo (4 August 2018 – 12 April 2019)
Eduardo Barroca (15 April 2019 – 6 October 2019)
Alberto Valentim (14 October 2019 – 9 February 2020)
Paulo Autuori (13 February 2020 – 1 October 2020)
Bruno Lazaroni (1 October 2020 – 28 October 2020)
Ramón Díaz (5 November 2020 – 27 November 2020)
Eduardo Barroca (27 November 2020 – 6 February 2021)
Marcelo Chamusca (26 February 2021 – 13 July 2021)
Enderson Moreira (20 July 2021 – 11 February 2022)
Luís Castro (25 March 2022 – 30 June 2023)
Bruno Lage (8 July 2023 – October 2023)

Other Sports

Basketball

Botafogo also has a strong basketball team.