Botafogo 1961

Botafogo in 1961 was the championship squad from Rio de Janeiro that year, during one of the most successful periods in the club's history. The team brought together names like Garrincha, Nilton Santos and Zagallo.

History

Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas experienced one of its greatest generations in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The club won the Rio de Janeiro State Championship in 1957, 1961 and 1962, during a period marked by the talent of its players and by the number of athletes who played for the Brazilian national team. In 1961, the black-and-white team was champion of Rio de Janeiro with a squad that included Garrincha, Nilton Santos, Zagallo and goalkeeper Manga. Many of these players also made up the Brazilian national team that won back-to-back World Championships in 1958 and 1962. The 1961 campaign preceded the Rio-São Paulo Tournament in 1962 and Botafogo's second consecutive Rio de Janeiro championship that same year, consolidating Botafogo as one of the main forces in Brazilian football during that decade.