Bruno Arleu de Araújo will be the referee for Botafogo vs Vasco on Wednesday, when the two Rio clubs meet in the 29th round of the Campeonato Brasileiro at 20:30. The appointment is notable because his record in matches involving Botafogo has been consistently positive for the club.
Arleu de Araújo, born on 14 February 1983, has already overseen seven Botafogo matches in which the team remained unbeaten. That run includes five wins and two draws, a sequence that gives the official a strong recent association with Botafogo results.
Botafogo's results under Bruno Arleu
The latest examples are clear. Botafogo beat Flamengo 4-1 at Estádio Nilton Santos on 18 August 2024, then followed that with a 3-0 win over Vasco at the same ground on 5 November 2024, both with Bruno Arleu de Araújo as referee. He later returned for Botafogo's 2-0 win over Fluminense on 26 April 2025, before overseeing the 0-0 draw between Flamengo and Botafogo at Maracanã on 18 May 2025.
He was also in charge when Botafogo beat Vasco 3-0 again at Estádio Nilton Santos on 5 November 2025, and when Botafogo and Fluminense drew 1-1 at Estádio Nilton Santos on 8 August 2026. Those results underline why the appointment has drawn attention ahead of another Botafogo and Vasco meeting.
What the appointment means
Most of the Botafogo and Vasco matches involving Bruno Arleu de Araújo came earlier in his career as fourth referee or video assistant referee, before he more recently took charge as the main referee. His history now makes Wednesday's match one of the more interesting appointments of the round.
For Botafogo and Vasco, the focus will be on the football itself, but the referee designation is already part of the build-up. With a recent track record that includes seven unbeaten Botafogo games, Bruno Arleu de Araújo goes into Botafogo vs Vasco as a familiar name for both clubs.
