Vasco da Gama Rowing Club

Vasco da Gama is one of the most traditional clubs in Brazilian football, based at São Januário, in Rio de Janeiro. Champion of the Copa Libertadores in 1998 and four-time Brazilian champion, it is known for its black and white jersey with the Maltese cross.

History

The club was founded on August 21, 1898 as a rowing association, created by members of the Portuguese community in Rio de Janeiro. The name honors the navigator Vasco da Gama. The football department emerged in 1915. In 1923, Vasco won the Carioca Championship with a lineup that included Black players and players from humble origins, which generated strong reactions from football elites of the time. The episode helped consolidate the club as a symbol of the democratization of sport in Brazil. In the 1940s and 1950s, the club formed the great team known as Expresso da Vitória. Later, it won the Brazilian Championship in 1974, 1989, 1997, and 2000. On the international stage, Vasco won the Copa Libertadores de América in 1998 and the Copa Mercosur in 2000. In 2011, it won the Copa do Brasil. The São Januário stadium, inaugurated in 1927, is one of the club's symbols.