Bahia 1959

The 1959 Bahia side was Brazil's first national champion in history, winning the Taça Brasil that year in a final against Santos. The achievement gave the club the right to compete in the first edition of the Copa Libertadores in 1960.

History

Esporte Clube Bahia was founded on January 1st, 1931, in Salvador, and quickly became the club with the largest support base in Northeast Brazil. In the 1950s, it consolidated itself as a regional powerhouse, with successive Bahian titles. In 1959, the CBD organized the first Taça Brasil, a competition that brought together the state champions to define the country's champion. Bahia advanced through the knockout stage and defeated Santos in the final, becoming Brazil's first national club champion, a title officially recognized by the CBF in 2010. Having won the Taça Brasil, the club represented Brazil at the 1960 Copa Libertadores, the first edition of the continental tournament. The 1959 team became known as the Steel Squadron and remains one of the landmarks in Brazilian football history.