班吉

The club has its origins in Fábrica Bangu (Bangu Factory), located in Bangu neighborhood, Rio de Janeiro. Some Britons that worked at the factory, especially Thomas Donohoe, introduced football to the factory workers by bringing footballs to the place and organizing the first football match in Brazil. In December 1903, Andrew Procter suggested the foundation of a club, when he realized how enthusiastic his colleagues were for football. The club was founded on April 17, 1904 as Bangu Atlético Clube. Bangu was the first football club in Brazil to feature black and mulatto players.^[]

In 1933, Bangu won its first state championship.

In 1966, Bangu won its second state championship in a game played in the world's largest stadium filled with over 120,000 fans, the Maracana. They beat powerhouse Flamengo 3–0 in a game remembered by a big brawl caused by Flamengo's players, in which several players got ejected afterwards. In 1967, Bangu, as the Houston Stars, represented the city of Houston in the United Soccer Association. The club finished with four victories, four draws and four defeats, but led the competition's attendance, with an average of 19,000 supporters per match.

In 1985, Bangu was the runner-up of Campeonato Brasileiro, gaining the right to compete in the following year's Copa Libertadores.

In 2004, Bangu was relegated to the Campeonato Carioca Second Level, returning to the first level in 2009, after winning the 2008 second level.