Bogota’s Millonarios FC: ‘The Best Team in the World’

Millonarios FC is the biggest football club in the Colombian capital, Bogota, and was founded in 1949 by Alfonso Senior. The club has participated in every single season of the Colombian first division since its inception in 1948. 

Bogota’s Millonarios FC and the legend of El Dorado

The 1950s was the golden age of Colombian football. The decade, nicknamed El Dorado, was filled with star-studded teams. The biggest team at the time was “El Ballet Azul” (The Blue Ballet), now regarded as the best team in the world at the time. Players like Real Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stefano and Adolfo Pedernera Millonarios won the 1949 League title, the 1951 Colombian Cup, and the League title again in 1949, 1951, and 1952. 

Millonarios FC in the 1960s and 1970s

Millonarios had another successful decade in the 60s. After their fifth win title in 1959, they won four straight league titles from 1961 to 1964. They also made their debut in the 1960s Copa Libertadores, the main South American club competition. The 1970s proved to be another golden decade for the Blue Ballet. They won two league titles in 1972 and in 1978. They also finished second in 1973 and 1975.

At this time the club had amongst its ranks legendary Colombian players such as Willington Ortiz and Alejandro Brand, and continue to compete in the Copa Libertadores. The club went toe to toe with Argentinian giants Independiente de Avellaneda in the 1973 semi-finals. 

The 1980s: drug trafficking and glory

The 1980s was called “The Second Dorado,” but it has very dark connections. During this decade, the three largest cartels in the country owned the three biggest football teams in the country. Pablo Escobar owned Atletico Nacional, The Cali cartel owned America de Cali and Gonzalo Rodriguez Gacha owned Millonarios F.C. The funding provided by the cartels allowed these teams to have incredible football players.

Millonarios won back-to-back league titles with Colombian legend Arnoldo Iguaran and other key figures like Mario Vanemerack and Carlos Estrada. They also made the quarter-finals against Atletico Nacional in 1989 and thanks to some controversial refereeing choices they were knocked out by the eventual winners. 

In the darkest chapter in Colombian league history, the 1989 first-division league was canceled after Alvaro Ortega, a referee, was assassinated in Medellin. When the league was canceled, Millonarios had already qualified for the league playoffs and was tipped to win its third straight league title. However, over the years speculation has grown about who carried out Ortega’s murder in the city, and why. 

The decline of Bogota’s Millonarios FC

The 1990s was the beginning of sporting and financial decline for Millonarios. This was the only decade in which Millonarios did not win any domestic or international title, as the teams from Cali and Medellin dominated the decade. They did, however, come close to winning the league in 1994, but they lost to Atletico Nacional on the final day. 

The 2000s was also a rough decade for the football club. In 2001 they won their only international title when they beat Ecuadorian side Emelec in the Copa Merconorte that year. Through this decade, the Ballet Azul failed to win any domestic titles. The main reason behind the 27-year streak without a league title victory was mainly due to the club’s declining finances. The club’s finances were in such poor condition that the club initiated a bankruptcy process in 2009. The fans saved it, as 4000 formed a new company called Azul y Blanco S.A and bought the shares of the club so that it wouldn’t disappear. 

The 2010s and 20s, the decades of resurgence?

The 2010s were marked by the end of the title drought in 2011 and 2012. Under coaches Richard Paez and Hernan Torres respectively, Millonarios FC won the Copa Colombia and The league title in 2012. At the time, Torres’s side won a record-breaking 14th league title to become the team with the most leagues in the country.

It was also marked by a second league title won against fierce rivals Independiente Santa Fe when in the 85th minute Henry Rojas scored a beautiful volley to bring the title back to the blue side of Bogota. This year, Millonarios also won the Colombian superleague against bitter rivals Atletico Nacional in Medellin. 

By the 2020s, The club had regained some of its former glory. Under Alberto Gamero, Millonarios F.C. won the most important league title in the history of the country by beating Atletico Nacional on penalties in June 2023. Despite recent success, international competitions have set a standard that the club has not been able to live up to, as their performances in CONMEBOL competitions have been nothing short of disappointing and lazy. The most recent elimination came last week after the side from Bogota failed to win against the Chilean team, Palestino, conceding an equalizer in the final minute of the game.