Clássico dos Milhões

Lore & Background

The rivalry between Flamengo and Vasco da Gama dates back long before the clubs' football teams, as both were founded as rowing teams. Flamengo was founded in 1895 and Vasco in 1898. The first official football match took place on April 29, 1923, with Vasco winning 3–1. The derby is the fixture that has had an attendance of over 100,000 people the most times in the history of football, in addition to having the highest average attendance in the history of the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. It is also among the seventeen oldest derbies of Brazilian football.

In Their Own Story

The afternoon sun hung low over the Arena do Grêmio, painting the blue seats in shades of amber. The stands were already a living thing — a low, continuous hum that rose and fell like breathing. A boy of maybe eight sat on his grandfather's shoulders, a Gremio scarf knotted around his neck, his small fists clenched in the air as the drums found their rhythm. Around them, the smell of churrasco smoke drifted from the concession stands, mixing with the sharp tang of cut grass and the electric charge of ten thousand voices chanting in unison. The ball was kicked into the air, and for a moment the whole stadium seemed to inhale. Then the roar came — a wall of sound that you felt in your sternum before you heard it in your ears — and the boy on his grandfather's shoulders screamed a word he would carry for the rest of his life. It was not a word. It was a colour. Blue. Black. White. His. Forever.

Reader's Guide

The derby is contested in the Campeonato Carioca, Campeonato Brasileiro, and Copa do Brasil. Notable players include Zico (Flamengo) and Roberto Dinamite (Vasco), who embodied the rivalry in the 1970s and 1980s. In the 1990s, Bebeto and Romário swapped clubs, increasing tension. The 2006 Copa do Brasil finals were the only national final between the two, won by Flamengo. In the 2020s, Flamengo's 6–1 thrashing of Vasco in 2024 symbolized the difference in form between the teams.

Did You Know?

• The first official match was on April 29, 1923, at the Paysandu Street Stadium, with Vasco winning 3–1.
• The derby has had the most attendances over 100,000 in football history.
• Vasco's largest win was 7–0 against Flamengo on April 26, 1931.
• Flamengo's largest win was 6–1 against Vasco on June 2, 2024.
• Vasco's longest unbeaten run against Flamengo was 23 matches (17 wins and 6 draws) from May 13, 1945, to March 25.