Vasco da Gama (after the famous Portuguese explorer of the same name) is a Brazilian football team from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, founded on August 21, 1898 (although the football dept started on November 5, 1915). It was founded by Portuguese immigrants, and it's still the team traditionally supported by the Portuguese community of Rio de Janeiro.

Their home stadium is the São Januário, capacity 31,000, but some games are played at the Maracanã (capacity 120,000). They play in white shirts with a black diagonal stripe that contains a Order of Christ cross, white shorts and white socks.

Vasco's distinctive role in the extinction of the odious racial discrimination that scourged Brazilian soccer in its beginnings is a reason for the fans to be proud of, and deserves special mention.

Its biggest rivals are from the same city: Fluminense, Botafogo and Flamengo, with the latter being it's biggest rival.

Although best known as a football club, Vasco da Gama is actually a comprehensive sports club. Its basketball section produced current NBA player Nenê.

Honours

• Brazilian Champions 1974, 1989, 1997, 2000
• South American Champions 1948
• Libertadores Cup 1998
• Mercosur Cup 2000
• Twenty-two State Championships 1923/24, 1929, 1934, 1936, 1945, 1947, 1949/50, 1952, 1956, 1958, 1970, 1977, 1982, 1987/88, 1992/93/94, 1998, 2003
• Rio-São Paulo Tournament 1958, 1966, 1999
• International Tournaments Dr. Luiz Aranha Tournament (RJ/1940);International Quadrangular of Rio (Rio de Janeiro/1953); Rivadavia Corrêa Meyer Tournament (Rio de Janeiro/1953); Iternational Tournament of Chile (Chile/1953); IV Centenary Tournament (Rio de Janeiro/1965); Lima's Tournament (Peru/1957); Tournament of Paris (France/1957); Tereza Herrera Trophy (Spain/1957); Santiago's Tournament (Chile/1957/1963); Mexican Pentagonal Tournament (Mexico/1963); Elche City Tournament (Spain/1979); Seville City Tournament (Spain/1979); Colombino Trophy (Spain/1980); Fest D'Eix Tournament (France/1980); Funchal Island Tournament (Portugal/1981); Summer Tournament (Uruguay/1982); Golden Cup (Los Angeles, USA/1987); Tap Cup (Newark, USA/1987); Ramón de Carranza Trophy (Spain/1987/88/89); Lorena's Tournament (France/1989); Friendship Tournament (Africa/1991); City of Barcelona Trophy (Spain/1993); City of Zaragoza Trophy (Spain/1993); Palma de Mallorca Tournament (Spain/1995); Bortolotti Trophy(Italy/1997).

History

Foundation

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

On August 21, 1888 in a room of the Sons of Talma Dramatic Society, with 62 members (mostly Portuguese imigrants), the Clube de Regatas Vasco da Gama (Vasco da Gama Rowing Club) was born.

Inspired by the celebrations of the 4th centenary of the first sail from Europe to India, the founders chose the name of the Portuguese explorer Vasco Da Gama to baptise the new club.

Famous players

• Ademir
• Barbosa
• Bebeto
• Bellini
• Chico
• Roberto Dinamite
• Fausto
• Ipojucan
• Orlando Peçanha
• Paschoal
• Edmundo
• Romário
• Sabará
• Vavás

External links

• Official Site
• Torcida Força Jovem Vasco