Vasco da Gama

In the late 19th century, rowing was the most important sport in Rio de Janeiro. At this time, four young men – Henrique Ferreira Monteiro, Luís Antônio Rodrigues, José Alexandre d'Avelar Rodrigues and Manuel Teixeira de Souza Júnior – who did not want to travel to Niterói to row with the boats of Gragoatá Club, decided to found a rowing club.^[]

On 21 August 1898, in a room of the Sons of Talma Dramatic Society, 62 members (mostly Portuguese immigrants) formed Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama (Vasco da Gama Rowing Club). Inspired by the celebrations of the 4th centenary of the first sail from Europe to India, the founders named the club in honor of Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama. The club's colors were chosen as black and white; black was chosen as a representation of the unknown seas Vasco da Gama sailed through, and white represented his victorious route. The first kit used these colors in a half and half combination, with the Order of Christ Cross in the center symbolizing the Christian faith just like in the sails of Gama's São Gabriel carrack. The emblem was created shortly after too; it was round with a sailboat bearing the Cross pattée.

On 26 November 1915, Vasco and Lusitania Sport Clube, another sports club founded by the local Portuguese community in Brazil and named after Lusitania which is often used as an alternative name for Portugal itself, merged, resulting in the creation of Vasco's footballing department. Beginning in the lower leagues, the club's first match was played on 3 May 1916; a 10–1 loss to Paladino FC.

During the 1920s, football in Brazil was a sport for the elites, and Vasco da Gama's racially diverse squad did not appease them. Some players were required to take a literacy exam before putting on their boots.

Vasco won its first top-division title with the 1923 Campeonato Carioca, becoming champion with a team including whites, blacks and "mulatto" players of different social classes.

In 1924, Vasco da Gama was pressured by the Metropolitan League to ban some players who were not considered adequate to play in the aristocratic league, notably because they were black or mulato and/or poor. After Vasco refused to comply with such a ban, the other big teams, including Fluminense, Flamengo and Botafogo created the Metropolitan Athletic Association and prohibited Vasco from participating unless it complied with their racist demands.^[]

As a result, the former President of Vasco, José Augusto Prestes, responded with a letter that became known as the Historic Response (Resposta Histórica), which revolutionized the practice of sports in Brazil. After a few years, the racism barriers fell, and Vasco became known as "Clube de todas as raças" (Club of all races). The club had led the move toward a more inclusive football culture, forward-thinking not employed by leaders from other Rio-based clubs like Fluminense, Flamengo and Botafogo.^[]

Even though the club was not the first to field black players, it was the first one to win a league with them, which led to an outcry to ban "blue-collar workers" from playing in the league—a move that in practice meant barring blacks from playing.^[]

In 1925, Vasco was readmitted into the "elite" league, with its black and mulatto players. By 1933, when football became professional in Brazil, most of the big clubs had black players.^[]

On 21 April 1927, Vasco's Stadium was inaugurated with a match against Santos. Santos won the match 5–3. On 26 April 1931, Vasco had a historic 7–0 victory over rivals Flamengo; this is the largest victory margin between the two clubs in the amateur era. On professional level, the largest victory is for the rivals (Vasco 1–6 Flamengo), at 2 June 2024.

Between 1944 and 1953, the club was nicknamed Expresso da Vitória (Victory Express), as Vasco won several competitions in that period, such as the Rio de Janeiro championship in 1945, 1947, 1949, 1950, and 1952, and the South American Club Championship, the world's first ever continental club tournament, in 1948. In 1953, Vasco da Gama won its first intercontinental trophy, the Torneio Intercontinental Octogonal Rivadavia Correa Meyer. Players such as Ademir de Menezes, Moacyr Barbosa, Bellini and Ipojucan starred in Vasco's colors during that period.

In 1956, the Vascaínos became Rio de Janeiro champions and Little World Cup runner-up, losing the title to Di Stefano's Real Madrid, which Vasco would beat in a friendly shortly after the tournament, becoming the first non-European club to defeat a European Champion. In 1957, this generation toured Europe and won 10 consecutive matches, including yet another victory against European champion Real Madrid (4–3) on 14 June, which sealed the 1957 Tournoi de Paris title - this match was the first ever, at a competitive level, between two continental champions. It also was the only international tournament Real didn't win between 1955 and 1960. Vasco would also beat Athletic Bilbao (Spanish League and Cup champions in the previous year) by winning the Teresa Herrera Trophy with a 4–2 scoreline, and Barcelona (Spanish Cup champion a week earlier) inside Les Corts, with a historic scoreline of 2–7, the second worst defeat ever suffered at home by the Catalan team, and largest in international matches. Benfica (Portuguese champion and Latin Cup runner-up) was also a victim of Vasco on this tour, losing to the Brazilian club with another impressive result, 5–2, in Lisbon on 30 June 1957.

In early 1958, just before the World Cup, Vasco won the Rio-São Paulo Tournament, the most important championship in Brazil at the time, which included legendary teams such as Pele's Santos, Garrincha's Botafogo, Zagallo's Flamengo, and Tele Santana's Fluminense. After this memorable title, three Vasco players had important parts in the campaign for Brazil's first World Cup title: Vavá (who scored five goals in the World Cup, including two in the final) and defenders Orlando and Bellini (the best defending pair of the tournament, Bellini was still the Brazilian captain). After the World Cup, the team then won one of the greatest Carioca Championships of all time. In an epic competition against Zagallo's Flamengo and Garrincha's Botafogo, which ended in a three way tie on 32 points and required two extra tiebreaker tournaments to decide the champion, Vasco became the 1958 Campeonato Carioca "super-superchampion".

In 1959, the team went on to beat great European teams like Italian champion Milan and Atletico de Madrid (European Cup semi-finalist that year). Vasco was also Rio-São Tournament runner-up that year, only behind Pele's Santos. Still in 1959, five Vasco players were called up for the 1959 Copa America: Paulinho, Orlando, Bellini, Coronel (defenders) and Almir (striker). Brazil would end the tournament unbeaten (four wins and two draws) with the four aforementioned Vasco players almost always being included in the starting eleven. Despite the good campaign, Argentina would keep the title, after ending the tournament with an extra victory. Vasco, together with Botafogo, was the club that gave the most players to the Brazil national team in that period. Many football lovers think this Vasco was one of the best clubs of the world at the time, and maybe the best in 1957–58.

In the 1965 Campeonato Brasileiro, Vasco da Gama reached the league's final and were very close to winning its first league title, but lost to Pele's Santos 1–6 on aggregate. In 1970, under star players Roberto Dinamite and Edgardo Andrada, Vasco won the regional title for the first time in 12 years. In 1974, they won their first league title, with Roberto Dinamite as the top scorer. In addition, they became the first team from Rio to win the league. Cruzeiro and Vasco had ended the season with the same number of points, meaning that a second match had to be played; Vasco later beat Cruzeiro 2–1 and won the title.

After winning the Campeonato Brasileiro in 1997, beating Palmeiras in the final, Vasco started its Projeto Tóquio, and invested US$10 million to win the 1998 Copa Libertadores. Vasco da Gama won the Copa Libertadores in its Centenary Year, beating Barcelona of Ecuador in the finals 4–1 on aggregate, and 50 years after winning its first South American trophy (South American Championship of Champions).

By winning the Copa Libertadores title, Vasco da Gama earned a berth in the 1998 Intercontinental Cup, where they faced the 1997–98 UEFA Champions League winners Real Madrid and lost 2–1.

As a result of their Copa Libertadores title two years prior, Vasco earned a berth for the inaugural 2000 FIFA Club World Championship held in Brazil. They beat Manchester United of England, Necaxa of Mexico, and South Melbourne of Australia in the group stage to reach the final. It finished 0–0 after extra time in an all-Brazilian clash with Corinthians, but Vasco lost 3–4 in the penalty shootout.

Vasco's Copa Mercosur campaign that year began with a 4-3 loss to Peñarol, but Vasco eventually qualified to the knockout round with ten points. In the quarter finals, Vasco eliminated Rosario Central on penalties after the Argentine side scored a late equalizer to send the game to a penalty shootout. In the semi-finals, Vasco eliminated River Plate 5-1 on aggregate, with a famous 4-1 victory at Estadio Monumental in the first leg. Vasco qualified to the finals against Palmeiras, and typically the finals are played over two legs, but a third match would be needed if a different team won each leg. This ended up being the case; Vasco had won the first leg 2–0, but Palmeiras won the second leg 1–0 six days later. On 20 December 2000, in a match which is still considered as one of the best in Brazilian football history, Vasco found itself trailing 3–0 at half-time, and Palmeiras had scored 2 goals in less than a minute; Vasco managed to score 3 goals to level the match at 3–3 with five minutes remaining, while playing with 10 men after Júnior Baiano got a red card in the 77th minute. In the 93rd minute, Romário scored a decisive goal and Vasco won the match 4–3.

Vasco also won the Copa João Havelange in 2000. Seen as a controversial competition organized by Clube dos 13 rather than CBF, Vasco played São Caetano in the finals. The club drew the first game 1–1 at Estádio Palestra Itália, and the second game was called off by Rio de Janeiro State Governor Anthony Garotinho in the first half because a fence collapsed at São Januário Stadium, which resulted in the injuries of many fans. Despite the disaster, Vasco won the rescheduled second leg 3–1 at the Maracana to lift the trophy.

In the 2001 Copa Libertadores, Vasco became the first team to win all six group games, which included big victories (0–3 and 4–1), against Colombian champions América de Cali. In the round of 16, the club eliminated Deportes Concepción, but then suffered a 4–0 aggregate loss against eventual champions Boca Juniors, which was considered a disappointing elimination despite the high hopes that were set after their perfect group stage run.

Shortly after the 2001 season, the club experienced a sharp decline, finishing 15th in 2002 and narrowly avoiding relegation in 2003 and 2004, although in 2005 they qualified for the 2006 Copa Sudamericana with a 12th-placed finish. Vasco's 2006 season was decent, finishing sixth in the league and gaining qualification for the following years Sudamericana, as well as reaching the Copa do Brasil final for the first time, losing to Flamengo.

The team finished the 2008 Série A in a disastrous 18th place and was relegated to the second division for the first time since its foundation after a 0–2 home loss against Vitória. Until then, it had been one of only six clubs to have never been relegated from the first division, along with Cruzeiro, Flamengo, Santos and São Paulo. (The last two did not participate in the 1979 Brazilian Championship, in order to avoid conflicts with Paulista Championship schedule.)

Despite suffering relegation, Vasco had a respectable run in the Copa do Brasil, making it al the way to the semi-finals where they were eliminated by eventual champion Sport Recife on penalties.

Vasco immediately secured their return to Serie A, sealing promotion to the 2010 Série A on 7 November 2009 with a 2–1 victory over Juventude in front of a Serie B-record 81,000 fans at Maracanã, and finishing as Serie B champions as well.

In the 2010 league season, their first season back in the top flight since relegation, Vasco finished in 11th place, and qualified for the 2011 Copa Sudamericana. In the 2010 Copa do Brasil, the team reached the quarterfinals, being eliminated by Vitoria on away goals.

Vasco beat Coritiba on away goals in the 2011 Copa do Brasil finals, and lifted the trophy for the first time in the club's history. In the Série A, Vasco enjoyed an excellent campaign, finishing only 2 points behind Corinthians. A win on the last matchday would've given them the title, as Corinthians drew their match, but Flamengo held Vasco to a draw. The club also ended the year as semifinalists in the Copa Sudamericana, a competition that saw the club defeat Palmeiras, Aurora and Universitario in historic fashion before being eliminated by eventual champion Universidad de Chile on away goals. The season was dubbed as "Vasco's Redemption Year", with many lauding Vasco as one of Brazilian football's elite teams once again.

Vasco's played their first final of 2012 in the Taca Guanabara, losing 1–3 to Fluminense after eliminating Flamengo in the semifinals. Two months later, they were playing a final again, this time losing to Botafogo in the Taca Rio, eliminating Flamengo in the semifinals again.

Vasco qualified for the 2012 Copa Libertadores as Brazilian Cup champion, marking a return to the top South American competition after 12 years. In the group stage, Vasco finished second tied with Libertad on points and only losing once. Vasco beat Lanús on penalties in the round of 16, to set a quarterfinal matchup with Corinthians, who eliminated Vasco 1–0 with an 88th-minute goal by Paulinho. In the Brazilian Championship, the team set the record for 54 consecutive rounds in the top 4 (continuing from the 2011 and 2012 seasons), although they ultimately finished in fifth and missed out on qualifying for the Libertadores the following year due to poor form, losing six of their last ten games.

After a good season in 2012, Vasco started their 2013 poorly and were hampered by financial issues. In the Taca Rio, the club had a terrible campaign and finished seventh of eight in the table. By the end of the year, the club had been relegated for the second time in 5 years and just the second time in their history, which was secured with a 5–1 defeat to Atletico Paranaense on the final matchday. In the Copa do Brasil the team entered in the round of 16, beating Nacional and then being eliminated by Goiás on away goals, despite winning the second leg 3–2.

After one season in the Série B during 2014, Vasco gained promotion and in May 2015 won the Campeonato Carioca after a 12-year hiatus. However, they were relegated again in the 2015 edition, placing eighteenth. In 2016, Vasco became back-to-back Carioca champions and had a 34-match unbeaten streak, their longest in official games. Once again, they were promoted after one season in Série B. However, in the 2020 season, they were relegated for the fourth time and then failed to gain promotion during the 2021 season, placing tenth.

On 22 February 2022 it was announced that 777 Partners, a Miami-based private investment firm founded by Steven W. Pasko and Josh Wander, bought a controlling stake in Vasco da Gama. According to the terms of the deal, 777 Partners acquired a 70% stake in the club which was valued at approximately $330 million.

On 6 November 2022, Vasco sealed their return to Série A, after a two-year absence.