In the 40's, after the foundation of the football club "Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas", the best player of the team was Heleno de Freitas. However, Heleno did not win a championship for Botafogo. He scored 204 goals in 233 matches but went to Boca Juniors in 1948, the year Botafogo won its 9th state championship.
In the 50's and the 60's, Botafogo had its best moment with Garrincha, Nilton Santos, Didí, Amarildo, Mário Zagallo, Manga, and Quarentinha, Fogão won Rio de Janeiro State Championship in 1957, 1961 and 1962 and the Rio-São Paulo Tournament in 1962, 1964 and 1966. The club increased a great rivalry with Santos Futebol Clube, the team of Pelé. Botafogo lost the final of Brazil Trophy in 1962 to Santos. Thez were also eliminated for the semi-final of Copa Libertadores of the same year by Santos. Botafogo were the base of Brazil's squad in 1958 FIFA World Cup and 1962 FIFA World Cup.In 2006, the club won for the 18th time the Rio de Janeiro State Championship. Nowadays, Botafogo is the only club to win titles in three different centuries.
The first stadium was Voluntários da Pátria Street Stadium, which was used by Botafogo, located in Voluntários da Pátria Street. It was used between 1908 and 1911. The following year, the club had to play the matches in a field in São Clemente Street. Also in the neighborhood of Botafogo, Fogão finally find his own place. Named General Severiano because of the street which accessed the stadium, Botafogo started to use this stadium in 1913. Some other improvements were made to build a social area in 1928 and expand with cement material the stadium space in 1938.In 1950, for World Cup in Brazil, Maracanã was raised. The one-time biggest stadium in the world was the home of Botafogo in many important games in Rio de Janeiro since then.However, the club lost ownership of General Severiano in 1977 due to a large amount of debts. The stadium was sold to Companhia Vale do Rio Doce and demolished. Botafogo moved to suburb Marechal Hermes and there build a new stadium, named Mané Garrincha, in 1978 to play casual games.
Botafogo also rented Caio Martins, a small stadium in Niterói city, in the begging of 90's. By 1992, the club finally got General Severiano back, inaugurated only in 1994 not anymore a stadium, but a new swimming pools, gymnasium and soccer field.
After years using Caio Martins and Maracanã as home stadiums, Botafogo started training at General Severiano after a big reform and Caio Martins, which stopped being used in 2004. Maracanã, property of the State Government, was defined as home of the team since 2006.In 2007, the club got Estádio Olímpico João Havelange, simply know as Engenhão. The stadium was build to Rio 2007 and conceded to Botafogo.
• National:Brazilian Champions: 1995Brazil Trophy: 1968Rio-São Paulo Tournament: 1962, 1964, 1966 and 1998• State:18 State Championships: 1907, 1910, 1912, 1930, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1948, 1957, 1961, 1962, 1967, 1968, 1989 (undefeated), 1990, 1997 and 20068 Torneio Início: 1934, 1938, 1947, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1967 and 19775 Taça Guanabara: 1967, 1968, 1997 (undefeated), 2006 and 20093 Taça Rio: 1989, 1997 and 20071 Taça Cidade Maravilhosa: 1996• International:1 Copa Conmebol: 1993Torneio Internacional da Colombia: 1960Pentagonal do México: 1962Torneio de Paris: 1963Quadrangular de Buenos Aires: 1964Trofeo Carranza: 1966Torneio de Caracas: 1967, 1968 and 70Hexagonal do México: 1968Torneio de Genebra: 1984Torneio de Berna: 1985Torneio de Palma de Mallorca: 1988Torneio da Amizade: 1990Troféu Tereza Herrera: 1996Torneio de Osaka: 1996III Torneio President of Alaynia Cup: 1996
• Youth:1 Taça Belo Horizonte de Juniores: 19991 Copa Macaé de Juvenis: 1997