History of CR Vasco da Gama

The history of Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama begins in 1898, the year of its foundation in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Although it was an association initially founded due to the practice of rowing, over time it added several new sports and is currently one of the most popular and traditional multi-sport entities in Brazil and South America.

The club has stood out over time for its fights for social causes, as well as its pioneering efforts to combat racism in football, and for being the first continental champion in history in the South American Championship of Champions in 1948.^[1] In addition to this title, Vasco conquered several important conquests throughout its history, among them: twenty four Campeonato Carioca, four Campeonato Brasileiro, one Copa do Brasil, one Copa Libertadores and one Copa Mercosur.^[2]

The foundation of Vasco took place in the context of the popularization of rowing at the end of the 19th century. The sport gradually became popular in the final decades of the century, with the popularization of beaches as recreational places and with the advancement of a new body aesthetic, which valued a conditioned and healthy physical type.^[3] In 1873, Club Guanabarense was created, boosting rowing in the city of Rio de Janeiro; several rowing clubs were founded over the next few years, and regattas began to become a fixture in the 1880s and 1890s.^[3]

The idea of creating a rowing club came from four young Brazilians, Henrique M. Ferreira Monteiro, Luiz Antonio Rodrigues, José Alexandre d'Avellar Rodrigues, Manoel Teixeira de Sousa Junior, all commerce, clerks, working in the center from Rio de Janeiro.^[4] In their free time, young people rented a rowing boat, called "Iracema", at Grupo de Regatas Gragoatá, in Niterói. The distance between Rio de Janeiro and Niterói brought the idea of creating a rowing club in the Saúde neighborhood, where they worked.^[4][5]

A fifth member was called, Lopes de Freitas, and the first meetings were held in January 1898, first in a two-story house that Henrique Ferreira Monteiro lived in, at Rua Theóphilo Ottoni, no. 80 (on the left side of the current no. 90); then, for better accommodation, the young pioneers were welcomed in the hall of the Sociedade Dramática Particular Filhos de Talma.^[4] The idea of a new rowing club in the neighborhood began to be publicized in the commercial media, and the four quickly managed to attract new interested parties.^[3] Among those invited to the future new institution were the Couto brothers, Portuguese merchants, who worked in the "steam sawmill" branch, and who had the necessary capital to put the club on its feet in its beginnings.^[4]

After some preliminary meetings, the club was founded on August 21, 1898, at Rua da Saúde n.º 293 (currently n.º 345 Rua Sacadura Cabral).^{[note 1][6]} At this first meeting, the board of directors was elected, with Francisco Gonçalves Couto Junior as the club's first president.^[3] The name chosen for the club - Vasco da Gama - was due to the fact that the fourth centenary of the discovery of the sea route to India was celebrated in that year, with many Portuguese among the founders.^[7] Thus, the name of the Portuguese navigator was given to the club.

The first Vasco uniform was chosen on September 6, 1898, at a club board meeting. At the proposal of the then president-founder, Francisco Gonçalves Couto Junior, Vasco had its first garments unanimously approved. The minutes of the meeting state that the uniform would consist of a black shirt cap with a "white and black pompom", a black shirt with a collar and a wide white band, with the red Maltese Cross on the chest, half on white and half on black. The belt would be white; the "black cashmere" shorts, black socks and white shoes, with the use of shoes and socks "only obligatory during regattas". The first Vasco uniform had a horizontal stripe, not a vertical one. The traditional vertical strip would only be introduced the following year. In a general meeting on July 16, 1899, it was decided that the shirt would be "black with a wide white stripe across the shoulder"; in other words, transversal. Another change occurred in the position of the cross: in the original uniform, it was half between the black and half between the white shirt.^[8]

According to João Ernesto da Costa Ferreira, who was director of Vasco's Historical Heritage, "the black represents the unknown of the mares, through which the great navigations passed"; the white diagonal band, from one corner to the other, "represented the luminous victorious route of these great Portuguese navigations", according to a poetic description by professor Castro Filho, former president of the club. Finally, the cross symbolized "the Christian faith, not least because many founders were Portuguese, coming from an essentially Christian nation".^[9] Mário Filho stated that the black color was chosen to the detriment of the white shirt, which was preferred, as it was "more economical", since "a black shirt looks clean, even if it is dirty".^[10]

Although the minutes stated that the symbol would be the Maltese Cross, it was actually the Order of Christ Cross used in Vasco uniforms. The use of the Christ Cross was due to its connection with the navigator Vasco da Gama and with the Portuguese ships: Vasco da Gama was sacred Knight of the Order of Christ, and the Portuguese ships wore the Christ Cross on their sails.^[11] In commemorations of the 4th centenary of the discovery of the sea route to India, the Christ Cross began to be represented without the white (or hollow) Greek cross inside; in color representations, the cross was most often shown in red or red.^[11] This representation was popularized by the Portuguese painter Alfredo Roque Gameiro, in two famous works about the departure of the Portuguese squadron and the arrival in Calicut.^[12]

Maltese cross, as it is called by supporters, although it was never used

Order of Christ Cross, sometimes used by the club

Cross pattée, sometimes used by the club in red

CR Vasco da Gama current cross, a mix between the two previous crosses

Such works ended up serving as an inspiration to the club in choosing the cross - hence the reference in the minutes to the "Cross of Malta incarnate". Henrique Hübner, former director of the Vasco Memory Center, states that this is a metonymy due to a popular interpretation of the term "Maltese Cross" as a nickname for all heraldic designs of crosses pattés (crosses with open ends and equal). According to Hübner, there are countless examples published in the press in which, without any connection with C.R. Vasco da Gama, the Christ Cross (proper name) is designated as the Maltese Cross (nickname)".^[13][11]

With popular tradition, the Maltese cross ended up being associated with Vasco since its foundation, and the club was often called Cruzmaltino.^[14] Vasco's popular anthem, composed by Lamartine Babo, right at the beginning states "a Cruz de Malta é o meu pendão" (the Maltese Cross is my pennon). In 2010, Vasco launched a third shirt that "corrected history", in the words of the club, with the Cross of Christ.^[14][11]

In November 1915, the football club Lusitânia was incorporated into Vasco, giving rise to the football department of Vasco da Gama, despite opposition from the Vasco rowers.^[15][16] Vasco debuted on May 3, 1916, in the third division of Rio de Janeiro (there was no national championship at the time).^[15] The club incorporated players of any ethnic origin to its staff, provided they knew how to play football, composed of players from various origins, such as blacks, mulattos, Portuguese and poor working-class whites.^[17][15][18] In 1922, Vasco achieved its first title by winning the second division of Rio de Janeiro championship, which opened up the possibility of playing in the first division of the Liga Metropolitana de Desportos Terrestres (LMDT).^[19][15] The club's campaign consisted of eleven wins, two draws and one defeat. Although there are other teams with players of these characteristics (for example Bangu), this was the first time that the most elite teams in the city faced an equivalent team from the periphery.

Vasco beat America and Fluminense, winning the championship, in its debut year in the first division, on August 12, 1923, leaving Flamengo in the second place, which ended up significantly marking the history of the club, Rio de Janeiro and Brazil, for being the first club in a campaign with Afro-descendant, poor and working-class members to be champion. Rui Proença, Portuguese by birth and living in Rio, identifies the fact as a true revolution, emphasizing the prejudices and difficulties initially encountered by Vasco, associating himself with the fact that Flamengo, Fluminense and Botafogo did not allow blacks to enter their clubs. The author concludes that the club would represent the reconciliation between blacks and Portuguese, discriminated against groups that, united, made Vasco.^[20] This team is still remembered today as the Camisas Negras (Black Shirts), and is considered one of Vasco da Gama's most important football squads.^[21][22] In 2023, the Camisas Negras are included in the Livro dos Heróis da Pátria (Book of Heroes of the Fatherland) of Tancredo Neves Pantheon of the Fatherland and Freedom.^[23][24][25]

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 C.R. 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.^{[26][27][28][29][30]}

Rio de Janeiro, April 7, 1924.

Official No. 261 Hon. Mr. Dr. Arnaldo Guinle, M.D. President of the Associação Metropolitana de Esportes Atléticos

The resolutions released today by the press, taken in a meeting yesterday by the highest authorities of the Association which you so dignifiedly preside, place the Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama in such a situation of inferiority, which absolutely cannot be justified even by the deficiency of the our field, nor for the simplicity of our headquarters, nor for the modest condition of the great number of our associates.

The privileges granted to the five founding clubs of the AMEA and the way in which the right to discuss and vote will be exercised, and future classifications will be made, oblige us to register our protest against the aforementioned resolutions.

As for the condition of eliminating twelve (12) of our players from our teams, the Board of Directors of Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama unanimously decides not to accept it, as it does not comply with the process by which the investigation of the social positions of these players was carried out. our fellow members, investigations taken to a court where they had neither representation nor defense.

We are certain that Your Excellency he will be the first to recognize that it would be an undignified act on our part to sacrifice to the desire to join the AMEA some of those who fought for us to have, among other victories, the soccer championship in the city of Rio de Janeiro in 1923.

These are twelve young players, almost all Brazilian, at the beginning of their careers, and the public act that could stain them will never be practiced with the solidarity of those who run the house that welcomed them, nor under the pavilion that they, with so much gallantry, covered of glories.

In these terms, we regret having to communicate to Your Excellency. that we gave up being part of AMEA.

Please Your Excellency accept the expressions of consideration and esteem from those who have the honor of subscribing,

from Your Excellency At. Vnr. Thanks.

— Dr. Jose Augusto Prestes, President.

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.^[31] Two years later, its lighting would be inaugurated, becoming the only club in the country with a stadium capable of hosting night games.^[32] On 21 April 1927, Vasco's Stadium was inaugurated with a match against Santos.^[33] 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.^[34]

In 1933, an old controversy flared up again in the country: the discussion about the professionalism of the sport. The Brazilian Sports Confederation (current Brazilian Football Confederation), defended amateurism, while most clubs insisted on professionalization. Because of these differences, the Liga Carioca de Futebol was created. The only exception among the big ones was Botafogo, which decided to stay in AMEA. In the same year Vasco and America held the first professional match in the State of Rio de Janeiro and the second in the country, with Vasco winning 2–1.^[35]

In 1942, the club lived an uncomfortable fast of 5 years without any title in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Trying to reverse this situation, the Vasco's president Cyro Aranha adopted a long-term policy based on hiring young players.^[36] The team, which would later become known as Expresso da Vitória (Victory Express), was composed of the goalkeeper Barbosa, striker Ademir de Menezes, midfielders Jair, Lelé, Isaías, Ely and Djalma and winger Chico, among others.^[37][36] This generation of players, commanded mainly by Uruguayan coach Ondino Viera, was one of the first Brazilian teams to use the 4–2–4 tactical scheme, which strongly influenced Brazilian and Uruguayan football in the 1950s.^[38] The Expresso da Vitória won eighteen titles in ten years, including five state championships (three undefeated) and the South American Championship of Champions over River Plate in 1948, making Vasco the first Brazilian team (either club or national team) to win an international title outside Brazil.^[36] Later, Vasco was recognized by CONMEBOL as the 1948 continental champion and this competition was recognized as a precursor to the Copa Libertadores.^[39][40] This caused Vasco to be invited to the 1997 Supercopa Libertadores, a tournament only for clubs that had already been champions of the Copa Libertadores (Vasco would only win its first Copa Libertadores the following year, in 1998).

In May 1949, the team faced the English club Arsenal, in a highly anticipated match in the capital. Arsenal had been the English champions the previous year, and it was believed at the time that they were playing a level of football not yet reached by Brazilian teams. The results on Brazilian soil seemed to confirm this: there were three matches, with two London victories and a draw, one of these victories being a resounding 5–1 defeat of Fluminense.^[41] The match was surrounded by expectations, due to the importance of Arsenal — the newspaper O Globo even stated that the team had been "the greatest team that had ever visited Brazil",^[41] while the newspaper A Noite stated that the London team was "the most famous team in the world"^[42] — and for the fact that Vasco was considered the best team in Rio de Janeiro, and one of the best in Brazil.^[43] The dispute, which took place at Estádio São Januário, was attended by the Vice-President of the Republic, Nereu Ramos, at the time President-in-Office,^[42] as well as the Ambassador of Great Britain,^[43] and an estimated audience of 60,000 people, an unofficial record for the stadium to this day.^[44] According to Jornal A Noite, "outside and inside the stadium reigned the confusion", with the stadium gates broken into.^[42] The income obtained from the public was the highest recorded in Brazil and South America at the time.^[43]

Vasco won the match 1–0, and had a performance praised by the English coach, Tom Whittaker, who stated that "Vasco is a team that honors the high standard of Brazilian football, without doubt one of the most brilliant in the world".^[41] Vasco's victory was widely celebrated by the Brazilian press. Jornal A Noite reported that Vasco, "consecrated in so many international fights, on national and foreign lawns (...) demolished the fortress", in reference to Arsenal's defensive sector, stating that the team had performed "magnificently, as we had never witnessed".^[42] The newspaper classified the victory as an "extraordinary feat (...) surpassing the masters of football", also pointing out that the match marked an "unforgettable page" of Brazilian football.^[42] The newspaper O Fluminense, on the other hand, called the night "memorable" and Vasco a "glorious conservative of the traditions of Brazilian football".^[45] For Jornal O Globo, "it was the biggest sporting event held in Rio to date".^[41]

At the end of the year, Vasco became champion of Rio de Janeiro, with a series of no defeats. There were 84 goals in twenty matches, a record for the time. The great rival Flamengo, who had not beaten Vasco since 1944, suffered again with the team from the hill. In the Estádio da Gávea, Flamengo scored 2–0 and already took victory for granted. Vasco, however, came back devastating in the second half and turned the score to 5 to 2. In the end, another undefeated title, Vasco's fourth.^[46][47]

Vasco had a large presence in the Brazil national team for the 1950 FIFA World Cup. Starting with the coach: Flávio Costa, also Vasco coach at the time. Of the starting team, five played for Vasco: Moacyr Barbosa, Ademir de Menezes, Augusto da Costa, Danilo Alvim and Chico. After Brazil's defeat to Uruguay in the final that became known as Maracanazo, goalkeeper Barbosa was placed by the press as the main culprit of the defeat. Many journalists believe that the fact that Barbosa was black was what led to him being placed as the biggest culprit by the newspapers at the time. In 2006, the famous actor and comedian Chico Anysio published a text after goalkeeper Dida was called up for national team entitled: "I don't have confidence in a black goalkeeper". In the lines of that publication, he cited Barbosa as the “responsible”.^[48] Former goalkeeper Aranha, who has also been the target of racism in football, commented in 2021 that Barbosa's story was crucial to his understanding of the structural racism that affects the sport: "It wasn't because of the goal that Barbosa was chased. It was because of what he represented".^[48] In 2020, Vasco opened its training center and fans chose through a vote to call it CT Moacyr Barbosa, in honor of the goalkeeper.^[49][50]

In the early 50s, many players from Expresso da Vitória had already left, and the team had new players, including Vavá, Bellini, Sabará and Pinga. At the beginning of 1953, Vasco won the Quadrangular Internacional do Rio de Janeiro, a tournament it played against its rival Flamengo and Argentine teams Boca Juniors and Racing. Months later, won the Torneo Internacional de Chile against Colombian Millonarios and Chilean Colo-Colo. In July, the team won the Torneio Octogonal Rivadavia Corrêa Meyer, a tournament between Brazilian and European clubs. In 1956, Ademir de Menezes left Vasco. After winning the 1956 Campeonato Carioca, Vasco went on a tour of South America and Europe, and was called "the best South American team" by European newspapers.^[51]

Vasco was chosen to participate in the 1957 Tournoi de Paris, in which they beat European champions Real Madrid in the final 4–3 in front of more than 65,000 spectators.^[52][53] This was the first time that a South American champion and a European champion faced each other (Vasco for the 1948 South American Championship and Real Madrid for the 1955–56 European Cup).^[54][55] The newspaper France Soir stated after the tournament: "Real Madrid is not the greatest team in the world. Talk to Vasco da Gama about that",^[56] and the Jornal dos Sports cited Vasco as "world champions".^[57] In 2023, FIFA recognized as "the most notable meeting between teams from two continents meeting before 1960".^[58]

Still in 1957, Vasco would beat Barcelona with a 7–2 rout, at the old Les Corts stadium.^[59][60] Vasco's victories over the two big Spanish clubs of the time made the Spanish press question the quality of their own football. Vida Deportiva magazine, writing about the defeat of Barcelona, stated that "Vasco won with an ease that calls into question the real value of our football". El Once magazine, on its cover, presented an engraving depicting Vasco players, with racial stereotypes, teaching Barcelona players how to play football.^[61] Describing Vasco's European tour, the Brazilian Jornal dos Sports wrote in the headline "like a typhoon, Vasco sweeps through world football".^[61]

In 1958, back in Brazil, Vasco won the 1958 Campeonato Carioca, an edition that became known as the "Super-Superchampionship", because two triangular tiebrakers were played between Vasco, Flamengo and Botafogo to decide the winner.^[62][63] Vasco would also win the interstate 1958 Torneio Rio–São Paulo, ahead of its rival Flamengo who came in second place again. By winning the 1958 Campeonato Carioca, Vasco participated in the inaugural edition of the Taça Brasil, the first national-level tournament in Brazil and which, years later, would be considered the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. The team fell in the semi-finals to eventual champions Bahia.

The 1960s marked a profound financial crisis at the club. Vasco did not achieve many achievements during this period. The most important were the first Taça Guanabara in 1965, which enabled Vasco to participate in the 1965 Taça Brasil, reaching the final and losing to Pelé's Santos, and the 1970 Campeonato Carioca.

In 1969, a meeting of the Vasco Deliberative Council voted to impeach President Reynaldo Reis.^[64] The vice-president of equity Eurico Miranda, 25 years old, was accused of turning off the power supply at Vasco's nautical headquarters to postpone the conclusion of the vote, as he was in favor of Reis.^[65] The power failure did not prevent the revocation, but the newspaper O Globo published a photo, the following day, with a hand on the site's power panel with the title "A mão do Eurico" (The Eurico's hand).^[65][66] Eurico Miranda would be vice-president and president of Vasco in the future. In 2023, Globoplay produced a documentary series about Eurico's career with the title A Mão do Eurico.^[67]

In 1971, young Roberto Dinamite rose from Vasco's academy to the professional team. The nickname "Dinamite" already came from the academy team. Before his debut as a starter in a game against Atlético Mineiro in the 1971 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, the newspaper Jornal dos Sports published: "Vasco escala o garoto-dinamite" (Vasco scales dynamite boy).^[68] After the game against Internacional, where Roberto scored a goal, Jornal dos Sports published: "O garoto-dinamite explode o Maracanã" (the dynamite boy blows up the Maracanã).^[68]

Roberto Dinamite would be instrumental in leading the team in winning the 1974 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, Vasco da Gama's first national title, in which he finished as the tournament's top scorer with 16 goals. This achievement qualified Vasco to compete in their first Copa Libertadores in 1975, in which they did not have a good campaign. Roberto also helped Vasco win the 1977 Campeonato Carioca, beating Zico's Flamengo in a final playoff match. There a rivalry between Roberto and Zico would begin on the field, although off the field they were very friends.

In 1978, Vasco fell in the semi-finals of the 1978 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, but Paulinho would have finished as the tournament's top scorer with 19 goals. That year, the famous song by the Vasco fans emerged that "Vasco é o time da virada, Vasco é o time do amor" (Vasco is the team of the turnaround, Vasco is the team of love), inspired by a Beija-Flor samba.^[69][70] The song would be copied by other fans, such as Santos, Palmeiras and Atlético Mineiro.^[71][72] In the 1979 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, Vasco lost the final to Internacional, but managed to qualify for the 1980 Copa Libertadores. After the final of the tournament, Vasco would have sold Roberto Dinamite to Barcelona, which would have left several fans angry, including illustrious fans such as Chacrinha, Roberto Carlos and Erasmo Carlos.^[73][74]

Unsatisfied at Barcelona, Roberto Dinamite planned to return to play in Brazil. The president of Flamengo, Márcio Braga, went to Spain, signed a pre-contract with Barcelona and practically completed the negotiation. However, pressured by the closeness of the agreement between Roberto and his rival, Vasco president Olavo Monteiro de Carvalho sent Eurico Miranda to Barcelona to negotiate. They talked and Roberto decided to return to Vasco.^[75] On his return debut against Corinthians at Maracanã, Roberto helped Vasco win 5–2, scoring all five goals, in front of more than 100,000 spectators.^[76][77] Before this game, that same day there had been a match between Flamengo and Bangu at Maracanã, and Flamengo fans stayed to support Corinthians fans and bother Vasco, which the press called "Fla-Fiel" (in reference to the Corinthians' organized supporters, Gaviões da Fiel).^[76][78]

In 1982, Vasco would win the Campeonato Carioca again, with coach Antônio Lopes removing seven starters players from the team in the final due to lack of commitment.^[79][80] In this tournament, Roberto scored the 500th goal of his career.^[81] Vasco lost the 1984 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A final to its rival Fluminense. In the next year, Romário made his debut, another youth player who would go on to be successful in the professional team.^[82] Romário began to form an attacking partnership with Roberto Dinamite, named by fans as "Ro-Ro".^[83][84] Roberto said he had to change his playing style, moving from playing as a center forward to being an second striker who helped Romário score goals, since he was getting older and Romário was younger and faster.^[83] Roberto Dinamite was top scorer of the 1985 Campeonato Carioca with 12 goals, and Romário was second with 11. Afterwards, Romário would be the top scorer in the 1986 and 1987 editions, with Roberto second in both, this last edition won by Vasco da Gama, in addition to also winning the 1988 edition. At the end of 1988, Romário was sold to PSV Eindhoven from Netherlands, being at the time the most expensive Brazilian signing by a foreign club.^[85]

In the 1989 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, Roberto Dinamite had lost space in the team and was loaned to Portuguesa. Roberto played against Vasco during the championship, in a game that ended 0–0, in which he says he "wouldn't like to have that afternoon".^[86] Vasco remade the squad, signing a series of nationally renowned players, becoming known as SeleVasco (in reference to the word "seleção", used in Portuguese to designate a national team), as the team was considered a true national team. The big highlight was the player Bebeto, hired precisely from the great rival, Flamengo.^[87] Vasco defeated São Paulo in the final 1–0, with a goal from Sorato, and became two-time Brazilian champion.^[88]

The 1990s began with the victory of three consecutive Campeonato Carioca in 1992, 1993 and 1994. These achievements were important for Vasco as he was the only one among the Rio de Janeiro's Big Four who had not yet achieved the feat.^[89] In 1994, Vasco had agreed on loan with Portuguesa to sign the biggest Brazilian promise of the time, Dener, who was called by many "the new Pelé" and who had enchanted Diego Maradona during a pre-season match.^[90][91] Dener played some of the games for Vasco during the 1994 Campeonato Carioca, but died during the final stretch of the competition in a car accident while traveling to sign a contract with VfB Stuttgart.^[92]

In the 1997 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, the club would win its third national league title, with a team led by the competition's then top scorer Edmundo, with 29 goals, the historical record of the tournament before the era of round-robin system.^[93] Edmundo became known to the fans as "O Animal" (The Animal) and the team as "Esquadrão Imortal" (Immortal Squad), which also included Juninho Pernambucano, Felipe, Pedrinho, goalkeeper Carlos Germano, among others.^[94]

In 1998, in the club's centenary year, the team won another Campeonato Carioca, as well as its first Copa Libertadores, defeating Barcelona SC in the final 4–1 on aggregate. The joy of the centenary was not complete only because of the losses to Real Madrid in the 1998 Intercontinental Cup and D.C. United in the 1998 Interamerican Cup. In 1999, Vasco won its third Torneio Rio–São Paulo title.

At the end of the decade, in 2000, Romário would return to play for Vasco after a spell at arch-rivals Flamengo. Romário would help Vasco win some titles this year. Starting with the 2000 Copa Mercosur, in a final game that became known as "A Virada do Século" (The Turn of the Century), as Vasco reversed a 0–3 score in the first half to 4–3 against Palmeiras, with Romário's hat-trick.^[95][96] The team also won its fourth national title, the 2000 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, in a final against São Caetano.