[25] Dempo Sports Club was founded as Clube Desportivo de Bicholim in 1961,[26][27] which was a top First Division league side in the 1960s.

Players including Subhash Sinari, Bernard Olivera, Tolentino Serrao, Bhaskar, Kalidas Gaad, Manohar Pednekar, Bhai Pednekar, Ganpat Gaonkar and Pandurang Gaonkar are still remembered as part of the Bicholim club that was on a completely different level compared other existing clubs at the time.

[30] Dempo then came at par with the other business houses, like Salgaocar, Agencia Commercial Maritima, Shantilal and Sesa Goa who had their own teams.

[33] British coach Bob Bootland took charge of Dempo in 1978 and changed the way India looked at its football with a revolutionary 4–3–3 style of play.

[31] The club then went on to participate in their first international tournament named POMIS Cup in Malé, and achieved runner-up positions twice in 1991 and 1992.

[37] The club then won the Rovers Cup again by beating Mohun Bagan again and were then one of the original 12 teams in the first National Football League in 1996.

In 2011, Dempo signed Trinidadian and Tobago international Densill Theobald as marquee player, who represented his nation at the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

[47] After the 2012–13 season, where Dempo finished in 5th place, they parted ways with their most successful coach Armando Colaco, with whom they had won 5 League titles.

[56] Before the start of the 2016–17 season, Dempo, along with fellow Goan clubs, Salgaocar FC and Sporting Clube, announced their withdrawal from the I-League.

[59][60] In the 2021–22 Goa Professional League season, Samir Naik managed Dempo end decade long wait, and clinched the title in style.

[62][63] In July 2023, Dempo roped in Scottish-Indian football pundit and manager Pradhyum Reddy as club's CEO.

[64] The club later won GFA Charity Cup in August 2023, beating Sporting Goa in final.

Ahead of the club's 2020–21 football season, the Golden Eagles introduced the new home and away jerseys to show solidarity towards the health workers in Goa.

Dempo SC initially used the Fatorda Stadium in Margao for home matches in the domestic and regional leagues.

[95] The stadium also served as club's home ground in continental tournaments including the AFC Cup.

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply.

Dempo roped in their first foreign coach in 1977, when British national Robert "Bob" Bootland joined the club as a trainer.

[111][112][113] In June 2013, the club signed Greek-Australian manager Arthur Papas who was already working in India as the Indian U23 National Team coach.