Esporte Clube Vitória, commonly known as "Vitória", was founded on May 13, 1899, and is a professional football club based in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
On May 22, 1901, Vitória played its first football match, defeating the International Sports Club, composed of British sailors, 3-2 at the Polvorosa Stadium. On September 13, 1903, the club won its first official match, beating São Paulo Bahia Football Club 2-0. In 1908, Vitória won its first championship, the Bahia Championship, and successfully defended the title the following year. After becoming a professional club in 1953, they immediately won their third Bahia state championship, but thereafter, other teams in Bahia dominated, with Vitória winning the state championship only in a few years such as 1955 and 1957.
The 1990s were a strong period for the team within the state, winning the Bahia state championship six times in 1990, 1992, and from 1995 to 2000, becoming the top club in the state for the first time. In 1999, they also reached the semifinals of the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. In the 2000s, they lifted the Bahia State Championship trophy eight times in ten years, but their performance in the league began to fluctuate. In 2004, the team was relegated from Série A to Série B.
During the peak period of Victoria's youth training system from 1995 to 2000, they won at least 21 international championship titles related to youth training. Notable players who emerged from here include Bebeto, Vampeta, Dida, Hulk, David Luiz, and Gabriel Paulista.