Roberto Dinamite

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Lore & Background

Roberto Dinamite was developed at Vasco da Gama youth squad. He is one of the most famous Vasco da Gama players, and is the club's greatest goal scorer. He scored 698 goals wearing the club's shirt and 864 goals in all his career. He played 1022 matches (768 official matches, and 254 friendly matches). Roberto was nicknamed Dinamite by the journalist Aparício Pires, of Jornal dos Sports newspaper, after scoring a spectacular goal in his debut for the professional team, on 25 November 1971, against Internacional, at Maracanã stadium. The journalist wrote in the newspaper that the Dynamite-Boy detonates at Maracanã. He helped Vasco da Gama win the 1974 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A and the 1977 Campeonato Carioca before moving to Barcelona in 1979. After only scoring 3 goals at Barcelona, he returned back to Vasco da Gama and won four more Campeonato Carioca (1982, 1987, 1988, 1992). In 1989–90, he played for Portuguesa of São Paulo state, scoring 11 goals. His last goal was scored on 26 October 1992, when, in Campeonato Carioca, Vasco da Gama beat Goytacaz 2–0 at São Januário Stadium. Dinamite retired on 24 March 1993, when he was 39 years old. His last match was on that day, when Deportivo de La Coruña of Spain beat Vasco da Gama 2–0 at Maracanã stadium, in a friendly game in which Zico also played (for Vasco).

In Their Own Story

The air inside the Pacaembu stadium was thick with tension as the clock ticked down in a decisive match. Roberto Dinamite stood near the edge of the box, eyes locked on the goalkeeper. As the ball rose from a chaotic cross, time seemed to suspend; he leaped, his body twisting with explosive force, connecting perfectly with his forehead. The net rippled violently as the crowd erupted into a deafening roar, celebrating another moment of magic from their beloved Dynamite.

Reader's Guide

Roberto Dinamite earned 47 caps with the Brazil national team, between September 1975 and June 1984, scoring 25 goals, including matches against combined teams, and clubs. He played 38 matches against national teams (20 of them were official FIFA matches), and scored 20 goals, and the nine other matches were against combined teams, and clubs, scoring five goals in those matches. His first national team match was played on 30 September 1975, when the Peru national team beat Brazil 3–1. Roberto Dinamite's first Brazil national team goal was scored on 23 May 1976, when Brazil beat England 1–0. His last cap was earned on 17 June 1984, when Brazil and Argentina drew 0–0. Dinamite was a reserve player in the 1978 FIFA World Cup, scoring three goals. He was also reserve player for Serginho in the 1982 FIFA World Cup, and was called by Telê Santana after Careca got injured. Roberto Dinamite played five Brazil Olympic team matches, all of them in 1972. He scored one goal in his last match, played on 11 August 1972, when Brazil and Tuna Luso drew 1–1. After his retirement from football, he became a politician. In 1992, after joining the PSDB party, he ran for the Municipal Chamber of Rio de Janeiro, being elected vereador (alderman) with 34,893 votes. As a member of PMDB, Roberto Dinamite was elected Rio de Janeiro state deputy in 1994, with 68,516 votes, in 1998, with 44,993 votes, in 2002, with 53,172 votes and in 2006, with 49,097 votes. Roberto Dinamite was a candidate to Vasco da Gama presidency in 2003 and in 2006. He was elected president of Vasco da Gama on 21 June 2008. Roberto Dinamite died of intestinal cancer in Rio de Janeiro on 8 January 2023, at the age of 68, after fighting against the disease since 2021.

Did You Know?

• Roberto Dinamite scored 698 goals wearing Vasco da Gama's shirt and 864 goals in all his career.
• He was nicknamed 'Dinamite' by journalist Aparício Pires after scoring a spectacular goal in his professional debut on 25 November 1971.
• He played for Barcelona (Spain) in 1979, scoring only 3 goals before returning to Vasco da Gama.
• He was a reserve player in both the 1978 and 1982 FIFA World Cups.
• He served as president of Vasco da Gama from 2008 to 2014.