Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama, founded in 1898, is a sports club from Rio de Janeiro whose men’s football team competes in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. The side has long played home fixtures at São Januário, has secured four Campeonato Brasileiro Série A titles and counts a major continental honour among its trophies, the Copa Libertadores. Find selected signed football shirts and memorabilia at Walkouts.
The club began as a rowing institution and was established on 21 August 1898 before creating a football department in 1915 and embracing professionalism in 1933. Vasco’s youth academy produced household names including Romário and Roberto Dinamite, and the club’s pedigree is reflected in modern metrics; it is ranked 94 by IFFHS, underscoring its international presence.
Vasco’s golden generations, notably the Expresso da Vitória, earned continental recognition with the 1948 South American Championship of Champions and shaped the club’s lore. São Januário remains central to that identity, while the team has also played marquee fixtures at Maracanã and contested the Clássico dos Milhões in high-profile derby encounters.
Collectors prize anniversary releases tied to milestone seasons. Post-1970 commemoratives include the club’s centenary sets and later anniversary editions issued to mark 2000 and 2018 celebrations, often distinguished by special crests or altered badge details, which create clear provenance points for collectors and museums.
Season and match magnets drive demand for specific shirts. The 1998 Libertadores run, the 2000 national title year and the 2011 Copa do Brasil are repeatedly cited by collectors because shirts from those campaigns were used in decisive matches and limited retail runs. Away shirts from continental ties, particularly white sash designs worn on knockout trips, are chased for their connection to key away results and tie-winning performances.
Fans collect retail fanshop shirts as much as match-worn items, with early runs, player-issue variants and region-specific releases attracting attention; suppliers during the Kappa and UMBRO eras produced distinct supplier patches and print techniques that distinguish individual issues. Heritage releases from the club’s centenary year are especially sought after, for example Centenary 1998 garments and items linked directly to the 1998 Libertadores season fetch attention for their provenance and visible wear patterns.
When sourcing signed and framed shirts look for signature provenance such as white with black sash away shirts tied to continental ties and a supporting COA for retail items where available. Walkouts lists authenticated pieces and often highlights match issued and limited editions from 1998 and 2000 alongside later trophy seasons, making it straightforward to compare player-issue variants and anniversary releases.
