on, Biriba was present in every game of the club to "bring luck" and help out on the field: When Botafogo was behind, the dog was released on the field on Carlito Rocha's orders to stop the game. Inexplicably, every time this happened Botafogo managed to reverse the score. 1950s and 1960s: Golden Age In the 1950s and 1960s, Botafogo lived one of its golden eras, with great stars of the Brazilian National Team in its team, such as Manga, Zagallo, Didi, Quarentinha, Amarildo, Roberto Miranda, Caju, Sebastião Leônidas, Paulo Valentim, Rogério, Gérson, and Carlos Roberto. Besides them, the greatest idols in Botafogo's history also played in this period: Nilton Santos, considered the greatest left-back of all time, and Garrincha, pointed out by some as the best football player in history. In 1951, the Glorioso placed third in the Santiago International Tournament and won the Municipal Tournament, being invited to play in the following year's Small Club World Cup, the first edition of the tournament, played in Venezuela. Playing against Real Madrid, La Salle, and the famous Millonarios, of Argentine star Di Stéfano, Botafogo finished the dispute undefeated, but in second place, tied in points with Real Madrid, and defeated in the goal average criteria. A year later, the club revealed Garrincha to the world: the star made his professional debut on 19 July 1953, scoring three goals in a 6–3 victory over Bonsucesso at the Maracanã. In international tournaments, the team was runner-up in the Montevideo Cup and placed fourth in the Buenos Aires Quadrangular. In 1957, the board innovated by inviting the sports columnist and club director João Saldanha to take command of the main team; even without experience in the position, João Sem Medo ("Fearless João"), as he was known, led the black-and-white squad to win the Carioca Championship. In the final, against Fluminense, Botafogo beat the rival 6–2, with five goals by Paulinho Valentim. To this day, the result is the highest score in the history of the state finals. In the same year, Botafogo competed again in the Small Club World Cup, this time against Barcelona, Sevilla, and three-time Uruguayan champion Nacional. However, Botafogo once again finished runner-up, behind Barcelona. The following year, the club lent its main players to the Brazilian National Team: Garrincha, Nilton Santos, Didi and Zagallo, which helped Brazil win the first world title. Even without the quartet, Botafogo won the