From 1976 to 1981, Nacional won six state titles in a row to complete a "hexacampeonato".
In 1985, Nacional competed for the last time the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. The club finished in the 18th position, ahead of clubs like Fluminense, Grêmio and São Paulo. The club competed in 1992 in Copa do Brasil for the first time, being eliminated by Vasco da Gama in the first round. The first leg, in Manaus, ended in a 1–1 draw. In the second leg, in Rio de Janeiro, Vasco beat Nacional 5–0.
In 2026, Nacional reclaimed the state championship after an 11 year absence, beating Amazonas FC. Later in the year, the club achieved its first ever promotion in the domestic leagues by eliminating CSA in the Série D promotion play-offs after winning the first leg in Manaus 3–1, and on the second leg in Maceió, a goalless draw clinched the club's spot in the 2027 Série C, its first appearance in over twenty seasons.
Nacional's home stadium is the Arena da Amazônia, opened in 2014, with a maximum capacity of 41,000 people. The stadium was built on the site of the old Vivaldao, which was demolished in order to construct a new stadium for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
The clubs training ground is called Campo de Treinamento Barbosa Filho.
The derby against Rio Negro is called Rio-Nal, and is a traditional city derby, considered one of the biggest derbies of the city.
The derby against São Raimundo is the second biggest derby of the city, and it started due to the good performance of São Raimundo in recent years.
Symbols
The club's mascot is called Leão Azul, meaning "blue lion". Nacional is nicknamed Naça, which is the diminutive form of the name Nacional, Leão Azul (Blue Lion) and Time da Estrela Azul (Blue Star Team). The club colors are blue and white.
