[2] Further changes were made for the 1997–98 season, with the runners-up from countries placed highly in the UEFA coefficients allowed to enter.

Jointly organised by UEFA and the Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol (CONMEBOL) it was contested until 2004, when it was replaced by the FIFA Club World Cup which included the winners of all six confederations regional championships.

In March 1950, CSCA changed its name to CCA (Casa Centrală a Armatei, English: "Central House of the Army").

1956 was one of CCA's most prestigious years, when, apart from winning the title, the team entered a tournament in England where they defeated Luton Town 4–3, drew against Arsenal 1–1 and Sheffield Wednesday 3–3, then lost 5–0 to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Under the leadership of coaches Emerich Jenei and Anghel Iordănescu, Steaua had an impressive Championship run in the 1984–85 season, which they eventually won after a six-year drought.

After knocking-out Vejle Boldklub, Budapest Honvéd, Lahti and Anderlecht, they were the first ever Romanian team to make it into a Champions League final.

On 7 May 1986, at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium in Seville, Spanish champions Barcelona were clear favourites, but after a goalless draw, goalkeeper Helmut Duckadam saved all four penalties taken by Barça, being the first ever Romanian to reach the Guinness Book for that achievement,[10] while Gavril Balint and Marius Lăcătuș converted their penalties to make Steaua the first Eastern European team to win the supreme continental trophy.

Gheorghe Hagi, arguably the all-time best Romanian footballer, joined the club a few months later, scoring the only goal of the match against Dynamo Kyiv which brought Steaua an additional European Super Cup on 24 February 1987 in Monaco, just two months after having lost the Intercontinental Cup 1–0 to Argentinians River Plate in Tokyo.

During these last years of the Communist regime in Romania, dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu's son Valentin was involved in the life of the team.

Even though a controversial character, Valentin Ceaușescu admitted in a recent interview he had done nothing else than to protect his favourite team from Dinamo București's sphere of influence, ensured by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The Romanian Revolution led the country towards a free open market and, subsequently, several players of the great 1980s team left for other clubs in the West.

Gheorghe Hagi joined Real Madrid for a then club record $4.3 million fee,[12] Marius Lăcătuș to Fiorentina, Dan Petrescu to Foggia, Silviu Lung to Logroñés, Ștefan Iovan to Brighton & Hove Albion, Tudorel Stoica to Lens and so on.

[13] In the summer of 2004, following a third consecutive year with no trophy won, former Italy goalkeeper Walter Zenga was appointed as head coach, becoming the first ever foreign FC FCSB manager.

Zenga was sacked with three matchdays to go in the Divizia A, but FC FCSB eventually won the title, performance repeated the following year with manager Cosmin Olăroiu.

The 2008–09 UEFA Champions League season saw FC FCSB advance to the group stage after defeating Galatasaray (2–2 away and 1–0 home), only to again finish in last place with one point, after Bayern Munich, Lyon and Fiorentina.