CR Vasco da Gama

History

The foundation of Vasco took place in the context of the popularization of rowing at the end of the 19th century. The idea to create a rowing club originated with four young Brazilians—Henrique M. Ferreira Monteiro, Luiz Antonio Rodrigues, José Alexandre d'Avellar Rodrigues, and Manoel Teixeira de Sousa Junior—all clerks working in downtown Rio de Janeiro. During their free time, the young men rented a rowboat named "Iracema" from the Grupo de Regatas Gragoatá in Niterói. The distance between Rio de Janeiro and Niterói inspired the idea to establish a rowing club in the Saúde neighborhood, where they worked. A fifth member, Lopes de Freitas, was invited, and the initial meetings took place in January 1898. The idea of a new rowing club in the neighborhood was promoted in commercial circles, and the four founders quickly attracted new interested parties. Among those invited to the future institution were the Couto brothers, Portuguese merchants in the steam-powered sawmill business, who had the necessary capital to establish the club in its early stages. After several preliminary meetings, the club was founded on August 21, 1898, at Rua da Saúde, No. 293 (now No. 345, Rua Sacadura Cabral), with 62 founding members of the institution. The name chosen for the club — Vasco da Gama — was in honor of the IV centenary of the discovery of the maritime route to India by Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama, as many of the founders were Portuguese. Vasco da Gama incorporated the Lusitânia Sport Club football team in 1915 and officially entered football competition the following year, embracing an inclusive identity that welcomed players regardless of race, social class or origin. Competing initially in the third division of Rio de Janeiro, the club steadily strengthened its squad with Black, mixed-race, Portuguese and working-class white players, in contrast to the exclusivity seen in many elite clubs of the period. After winning the second division title in 1922 with an impressive campaign, Vasco secured promotion to the top tier of Campeonato Carioca. In 1923, defying expectations, the team won the first-division championship in its debut season, defeating leading clubs such as America, Fluminense and Flamengo. This historic achievement — led by the legendary Camisas Negras (Black Shirts) — represented a major social milestone in Brazilian sport, marking the first time a team composed largely of Afro-descendant and poor players conquered a major title against the city’s traditional elite. The significance of this moment continues to resonate today, with the Camisas Negras recognized nationally, including their place in Livro dos Heróis da Pátria (Book of Heroes of the Fatherland) of Tancredo Neves Pantheon of the Fatherland and Freedom.

After attempts to prevent Vasco da Gama from entering the competition, clubs from the south zone (elite area of the city of Rio de Janeiro), America, Bangu, Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense and a few others joined, abandoned the Liga Metropolitana de Desportos Terrestres (LMDT) and founded the Associação Metropolitana de Esportes Atléticos (AMEA), leaving out Vasco, which could only join the new entity if it dismissed twelve of its athletes (all black) on the grounds that they had a "dubious profession". Faced with the imposed situation, in 1924, the president of the CR Vasco da Gama, José Augusto Prestes, envied a letter to AMEA, which came to be known as the "Resposta Histórica" (Historical Response), refusing to submit to the imposed condition and withdrawing from membership in the AMEA. The letter went down in history as a milestone in the fight against racism in football. In this way, in 1924, two championships were played in parallel, the LMDT being won undefeated by Vasco, thus winning the second state championship. The following year, the club overcame the resistance of the AMEA, managed to join the entity and again competed in the championship against the great teams under the condition of playing their games in the Andarahy Athletico Club field. Despite this, Vasco decided to build its own stadium, to end any demand. The place chosen for the construction was the São Januário farm, which had been a gift from Dom Pedro I to the Marchioness of Santos. On April 21, 1927, Vasco da Gama inaugurated the São Januário stadium, the largest stadium in the Americas until 1930, when the Estadio Centenario was inaugurated in Montevideo (for the first World Cup). Until 1940, when Pacaembu was inaugurated in São Paulo, the stadium was the largest in Brazil, and until 1950, when Maracanã was inaugurated, it was the largest in Rio de Janeiro. The stadium was built in ten months and with money raised through the "Campanha dos dez mil sócios" (Campaign of the Ten Thousand members) which received donations from fans across the city. Two years later, its lighting would be inaugurated, becoming the only club in the country with a stadium capable of hosting night games.

Identity

Crest and cross

The founding crest of CR Vasco da Gama, used since 1899, consists of a caravel in a round coat of arms. In 1903, the first modification occurred, when a black background and the club's initials were added, separated by six crosses pattée, encircling the crest. It was only in the 1920s that the crest in its current format was adopted, which has undergone slight modifications over time. The initials are engraved on it, forming the acronym "CRVG", and the caravel, an expression of Portuguese navigation, is represented. The cross, the club's supreme symbol and possessing a strong religious aspect, is stamped on the ship's sails, since the Military Order of Christ was both religious and warlike. The components are immersed in a black background, cut by a white diagonal stripe.

Beyond the elements, the colors present in the CR Vasco da Gama crest also have strong meaning: black refers to the unknown seas of the East; while white represents the route discovered by Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama. In addition, they reflect the idea of communion and equality between ethnicities, a value intensely defended by the club.

The cross currently featured on Vasco's uniforms and crest is called the cross pattée, although it is widely known by fans and the general public as the maltese cross. The explanation for this discrepancy lies in a foreign word used in Brazil – but not in Portugal: in English and French, all types of open crosses were erroneously called maltese crosses (or croix de malte in French). As can be seen in many displayed symbols, the club's original cross is the Order of Christ Cross. While the current uniform displays the maltese cross, characterized by the absence of intermediate lines, the Order of Christ Cross and similar versions have been widely used throughout history. Even so, Vasco's fans have popularly adopted the name maltese cross to designate the club's symbol, regardless of its historical accuracy.

Kit evolution

Vasco da Gama has had several different uniforms throughout its history. The first shirt, used in rowing, was created in 1898 and was predominantly black, with a white diagonal stripe on the left (the reverse of the current shirt) and a cross in the center. The first football kit, created in 1916, was completely black, with a white collar and cuffs.

In 1938, the team used a white shirt with a black diagonal stripe on the right as its away kit for the first time. This shirt only returned in 1943 as the home kit, replacing the all-black shirt, along with the black shirt with a white diagonal stripe as the away kit. Over the years, Vasco has alternated its home and away kits between white and black. At least since the 2000s, the club's official statutes describe the black shirt as the home kit, although the club usually uses both variations when playing at home. In a brand manual published by the club in 2024, it was detailed that the home kit includes a black shirt, shorts, and socks, while the away kit has a white shirt, shorts, and socks.

Notes

Anthems

Vasco's official anthem was composed in 1918, by Joaquim Barros Ferreira da Silva, and it was the club's first anthem. There is another official anthem, created in the 1930s, called "Meu Pavilhão" (meaning My Pavilion), whose lyrics were composed by João de Freitas and music by Hernani Correia. This anthem replaced the previous one. The club's most popular anthem, however, is an unofficial anthem composed by Lamartine Babo in 1942.

Royal patronage

Since 2017, Vasco has been able to use the word Royal before its name, "Real Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama", through the Royal Decree of the Head of the Portuguese Royal House, Duarte Pio, Duke of Bragança, which renewed and conferred the Royal Patronage on Vasco da Gama. The royal title would be granted to the club in 1908, in its first decade of existence, on the occasion of the visit of the King Carlos I to Brazil, who had already decided to renew and confer the title of "Royal Society", which Vasco had already enjoyed during the period when Luís I was King of Portugal, but was prevented from doing so by the regicide of February 1, 1908.

Stadium

The Estádio Vasco da Gama, most known as São Januário, this is where the team plays most of its home games. It has a maximum capacity of 21,880 spectators. Occasionally, Vasco uses the 78,000-seater Maracanã for derbies or decisive matches.

Before the construction of São Januário, Vasco da Gama played its home matches at various rented or shared grounds throughout the city of Rio de Janeiro, including fields used during the early development of football in Brazil in the 1910s and 1920s. At the time, most Brazilian clubs did not possess privately owned stadiums, and Vasco’s growing popularity and sporting success created the need for a larger and more independent venue. The construction of São Januário, officially inaugurated in 1927, represented a major milestone in the club’s history. Built largely through financial contributions from supporters and members associated with the club, São Januário became the largest stadium in South America at the time of its inauguration. The stadium quickly established itself as a symbol of Vasco’s institutional strength and social identity, serving not only as a football venue but also as an important political and cultural space in Brazil throughout the 20th century.

With the increasing commercialization of Brazilian football and the expansion of national competitions, Vasco also began using larger stadiums for matches expected to attract larger crowds. During the second half of the 20th century, and especially following the construction of the Maracanã Stadium, Vasco frequently alternated between São Januário and the Maracanã depending on attendance expectations, tournament regulations, and logistical considerations. Important matches, derby fixtures, finals, and international games were often held at the Maracanã due to its greater capacity and infrastructure, while São Januário remained the symbolic and historical home of the club. By winning the 1950 Campeonato Carioca at the Maracanã, the club became the first to lift a trophy in the stadium.

In the contemporary era, the use of São Januário for major state derby matches became the subject of recurring debates involving public security concerns, stadium capacity, and administrative decisions by Rio de Janeiro football authorities. Vasco has frequently been prevented from hosting derby matches against Flamengo and Fluminense at São Januário, particularly in fixtures classified as high-risk by public security officials. As a result, many of these matches have been required to take place at the Maracanã, even when Vasco officially held home-field advantage. This situation became one of the most controversial issues among Vasco directors and supporters, who often argue that the club faces restrictions regarding its ability to fully exercise home advantage at its historic stadium.

Supporters

According to census and polls, Vasco da Gama is the second most supported club in state of Rio de Janeiro, and varies between the third and fifth most supported club in Brazil, with an estimate of more than 15 million supporters in the country. Vasco fans are very diverse stretching across social class lines, however the core of most Vasco support lies within the working class of the Northern Zone of Rio de Janeiro and Rio outskirt cities. Vasco da Gama have significant support in other regions in Brazil, notably the Northeastern and North regions as well as strongholds in states of Espírito Santo, Santa Catarina, southern Minas Gerais and in the Distrito Federal. As of 29 June 2022, the club has 60,326 sócios in its membership program, having its peak in December 2019 with more than 178,000 memberships. In April 2023, CNN carried out a survey that revealed that Vasco is the team with the most fans considered "fanatics" in the Southeast Region clubs and among the Big Twelve, in addition to being the third in the country.

The supporters of Vasco da Gama are recognized as one of the largest and most traditional fan bases in Brazilian football, standing out for their strong popular identification and the social diversity of their supporters. Vasco's fan base has developed an image of resilience and loyalty, particularly during periods of sporting and administrative difficulties faced by the club. The relationship between the club and its supporters is often marked by a strong sense of belonging, with the expressions “vascaíno” and “cruzmaltino” serving as elements of cultural identity among its fans. Vasco culture is also marked by the idea of collective suffering accompanied by unconditional loyalty, a characteristic frequently explored ironically by the supporters themselves. Even in the face of relegations, financial crises, and unstable seasons, the fan base continues to demonstrate high levels of engagement and mobilization, reinforcing Vasco’s image as a club with strong emotional appeal.

In addition to their passionate and resilient character, Vasco supporters are also widely known for their self-deprecating humor and the constant creation of memes related to situations considered improbable or chaotic involving the club. On social media, the expression "coisas que só acontecem no Vasco" (English: things that only happen to Vasco) became commonly used to describe unusual episodes, seemingly absurd storylines, and events marked by drama, improbable turnarounds, or peculiar off-field incidents. This comedic aspect has become part of the contemporary identity of the fan base, which frequently transforms moments of crisis into humorous and viral internet content. In various contexts of Brazilian digital culture, Vasco came to occupy a symbolic space associated with unpredictability, often being referenced in memes, humorous videos, and sports discussions as a club where extraordinary events appear to occur with unusual frequency.

Rivalries

Vasco's biggest rivals are the other clubs in Rio de Janeiro: Flamengo, Botafogo and Fluminense. However, Vasco also attracts antipathy from fans of several other clubs across the country. According to a survey released by ESPN, Vasco is the third most hated club in the country, behind Flamengo and Corinthians, the clubs with the largest number of fans. This is mainly due to the past history of controversial managers and players who passed through the club.

Vasco's biggest rivalry is against Flamengo, called the Clássico dos Milhões (Derby of the Millions), usually played at the Maracanã and whose name comes from the fact that Flamengo and Vasco have the largest fanbases in the Rio de Janeiro and two of the five largest of Brazil. This rivalry has the highest average attendance in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. Vasco holds other strong local rivalry with Fluminense and Botafogo. The rivalry with Fluminense is deeply rooted in social and historical contrasts, especially the early-20th-century tensions involving racial and class issues, which helped shape the identities of both clubs. The rivalry with Botafogo, on the other hand, is more centered on football itself, marked by balanced matches, historic finals, and long-standing battles for local prestige.

Records and statistics

Vasco da Gama has participated in over 100 editions of the Campeonato Carioca and over 50 editions of the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, placing it among the clubs with the most appearances in both competitions. At the continental level, it has participated 9 times in the Copa Libertadores and 6 times in the Copa Sudamericana, as of 2025, in addition to participating in and winning the continent's first competition in history, the South American Championship of Champions.

Roberto Dinamite holds the club's main individual records, being the player with the most appearances (1,110) and the all-time top scorer (708). According to official figures, Dinamite has played 753 matches and scored 475 goals for Vasco da Gama. Dinamite also stands out as the all-time top scorer in the history of the Campeonato Carioca, with 284 goals, and Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, with 190 goals. Him also holds the record for goals at São Januário (184) and in all derbies against the club's main rivals: Botafogo (25), Flamengo (27) and Fluminense (36). Besides him, two other athletes surpassed 300 goals for the club: Romário (326) and Ademir de Menezes (301). Romário scored his 1000th career goal while playing for Vasco at São Januário. Among goalkeepers, Carlos Germano have the most appearances (632) for the club.

The record attendance for a Vasco da Gama game was 174,770 people at the Maracanã Stadium, during a match against Flamengo in the Campeonato Carioca on April 4, 1976. The largest attendance against a club from outside Rio de Janeiro and Brazil was at the friendly match against Real Madrid on February 8, 1961, which registered 129,209 people at the Maracanã Stadium. At São Januário, the club's record attendance is 60,000 spectators when the stadium could hold more people; this occurred in two friendly matches: against Montevideo Wanderers in 1928 and Arsenal in 1949. In an official match, the largest crowd at São Januário was 40,209 people against Londrina in the 1978 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A.

Honours

Vasco's first trophy was the 1923 Campeonato Carioca, during the club's debut season in the state's first division, won by a squad in which the majority of players were black and which greatly influenced the fight against racism in Brazilian football. For a large portion of fans, the club's most important honour is not a trophy, but rather the Resposta Histórica, a letter sent in 1924 refusing the discriminatory order of the Rio de Janeiro league, which wanted to ban Vasco from its competitions if it did not disaffiliate twelve of its players (all black).

Vasco is the first Brazilian team (club or national team) to win an international tournament and the first club in the world to win a continental-level tournament, the 1948 South American Championship of Champions. The club was also the first to win an intercontinental tournament contested by two continental champion clubs, the 1957 Tournoi de Paris, against Real Madrid in the final.

In terms of the number of trophies won, Vasco's most successful decade was the 1990s, when the club won two Campeonato Brasileiro titles, four Campeonato Carioca, one Torneio Rio–São Paulo, one Copa Libertadores and one Copa Mercosul.

Official tournaments

s shared record

Others tournaments

Torneio Luiz Aranha (1): 1940

Chile International Tournament (1): 1953

Torneio Internacional do Rio de Janeiro (2): 1953, 1965

Torneio Octogonal Rivadavia Correa Meyer (1): 1953

Teresa Herrera Trophy (1): 1957

Chile International Triangular Tournament (1): 1957

Lima Quadrangular Tournament (1): 1957

Santiago Tournament (2): 1957, 1963

Pentagonal Tournament of Mexico (1): 1963

Trofeo Ciudad de Sevilla (1): 1979

Festa d'Elx Trophy (1): 1979

Colombino Trophy (1): 1980

Torneio Madeira Autonomia (1): 1981

Summer Tournament (1): 1982

TAP Cup (1): 1987

Los Angeles Golden Cup (1): 1987

Ramón de Carranza Trophy (3): 1987, 1988, 1989

Metz Tournament (1): 1989

Friendship Tournament (1): 1991

Ciutat de Barcelona Trophy (1): 1993

Trofeo Ciudad de Zaragoza (1): 1993

Runners-up

FIFA Club World Cup (1): 2000

Intercontinental Cup (1): 1998

Copa Interamericana (1): 1998

Campeonato Brasileiro Série A (4): 1965, 1979, 1984, 2011

Copa do Brasil (2): 2006, 2025

Supercopa do Brasil (1): 1990

Torneio Rio–São Paulo (7): 1950, 1952, 1953, 1957, 1959, 1965, 2000

Campeonato Carioca (26): 1926, 1928, 1930, 1931, 1935, 1944, 1948, 1961, 1968, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1979-I, 1980, 1981, 1986, 1990, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2014, 2018, 2019

Youth team

Campeonato Brasileiro Sub-20 (1): 2026

Copa do Brasil Sub-20 (1): 2020

Supercopa do Brasil Sub-20 (1): 2020

Copa do Brasil Sub-17 (1): 2025

Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior (1): 1992

Taça Belo Horizonte de Juniores (3): 1991, 1992, 2013

Copa Macaé de Juvenis (1): 1998

Players

First-team squad

As of 11 September 2026

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

The following players have previously made appearances or have appeared on the substitutes bench for the first team.

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Personnel

Management staff

Associative club (69% SAF):

Chairman: Pedrinho

Vice-chairman: Paulo Salomão

777 Partners (31% SAF):

Joshua Wander, Andres Blazquez, Donald Dransfield, Nicolas Maya, Steven W. Pasko

Football director: Admar Lopes

Football technical director: Felipe Loureiro

Football operations director: Clauber Rocha

Source:

Coaching and medical staff

Head coach: Pedro Emanuel

Assistant coach: Bruno Lazaroni, Luisinho Quintanilha, Rui Gomes, Pedro Correia

Goalkeeping coach: Leandro Franco, Nelcirio Franchin

Fitness coach: Marcelo Arouca, Ricardo Daang, André Galbe,

Medical staff: Ricardo Bastos, Hélio Fadel, Rodrigo Sasson

Academy director: Rodrigo Dias

Source:

Other sports

Although best known as a football, rowing and swimming club, Vasco da Gama is actually a comprehensive sports club. Its basketball section, CR Vasco da Gama Basquete (three times Brazilian Champion and four times South-American Champion) produced former NBA player Nenê. The club is also the first Brazilian club to play against an NBA team, against San Antonio Spurs, in 1999, in the McDonald's Championship final. Its rowing team is one of the best of Brazil and of the continent, which swimmers regularly represent Brazil in international competitions. Vasco da Gama also has a four-times National Champion women's soccer team as well. Vasco's beach soccer team is one of the best in the world, being once World Champion, three times South-American Champion and many times National Champion. In addition to these, Vasco has many other sports with World, South American and Brazilian titles.