- The Rio de Janeiro side came through the Playoffs and are now among the CONMEBOL Sudamericana's final four, with Boca Juniors their next opponents.
- Pedro Emanuel's side overcame a demanding Independiente Santa Fe 2-0 on aggregate in the quarter-finals.
Vasco da Gama's objective of reaching the Great Conquest Final remains firmly intact, with the showpiece set for Saturday 21 November in Barranquilla. The ‘Cruz-Maltino’ have already come through three knockout ties to reach the semi-finals and once again showed — in Asunción and Bogotá — that they have the resources to compete away from Rio de Janeiro.
Their route to this stage has been hard-fought. After finishing second in Group G, they had to face Independiente Medellín in the Playoffs: they drew 2-2 in Colombia before winning 1-0 at São Januário thanks to a late Thiago Mendes goal. In the Round of 16, they came up against Olimpia again, an opponent with whom they had traded victories during the Group Stage.
The first leg once again reflected that balance. Vasco dominated much of the match in Rio de Janeiro but could not get past Gastón Olveira, with the goalless draw sending the tie to the Defensores del Chaco for its decisive chapter. There, Olimpia took the lead through Esteban Matus, but the Brazilian response was emphatic: Thiago Mendes levelled, David completed the comeback before half-time, and Adson and Claudio Spinelli extended the lead in the second half.
The 4-1 victory sent Vasco into the last eight and finally brought to an end a story that had been repeated four times against Olimpia during this edition. In the quarter-finals, they faced Independiente Santa Fe, who had knocked out River Plate. The first leg in Bogotá ended goalless, with Léo Jardim standing out between the posts. The second leg at São Januário saw Vasco dominate both in their overall play and attacking approach, winning 2-0 through goals from Bruno Duarte and David to secure the Rio side's return to a continental semi-final.
Vasco da Gama in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana: Results and Schedule
Group G – Matchday 1: Barracas Central 0-0 Vasco da Gama
Group G – Matchday 2: Vasco da Gama 1-2 Audax Italiano (45+3' PT Brenner Marlos / 17' ST Michael Vadulli and 41' ST Franco Troyansky)
Group G – Matchday 3: Vasco da Gama 3-0 Olimpia (39' PT José Luis Rodríguez, 6' ST Nuno Moreira and 10' ST Adson)
Group G – Matchday 4: Audax Italiano 1-2 Vasco da Gama (5' PT Alan Saldivia, own goal / 19' ST Claudio Spinelli and 26' ST Matheus França)
Group G – Matchday 5: Olimpia 3-1 Vasco da Gama (22' ST Mateo Gamarra, 40' ST Hugo Sandoval and 45+4' ST Sebastián Ferreira / 45+4' PT Carlos Cuesta)
Group G – Matchday 6: Vasco da Gama 3-0 Barracas Central (32' PT and 45+2' PT Adson, and 10' ST Jhojan Rojas)
Playoffs
First Leg: Independiente Medellín 2-2 Vasco da Gama (45+4' PT and 27' ST John Montaño / 1' ST Joaquín Varela, own goal, and 41' ST Claudio Spinelli)
Second Leg: Vasco da Gama 1-0 Independiente Medellín (40' ST Thiago Mendes)
Round of 16
First Leg: Vasco da Gama 0-0 Olimpia
Second Leg: Olimpia 1-4 Vasco da Gama (Esteban Matus / Thiago Mendes, David, Adson and Claudio Spinelli). Vasco advanced 4-1 on aggregate.
Quarter-finals
First leg: Independiente Santa Fe 0-0 Vasco da Gama.
Second leg: Vasco da Gama 2-0 Independiente Santa Fe (Bruno Duarte 37', David 65').
Vasco da Gama Head Coach in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana: Pedro Emanuel
Pedro Emanuel took charge at the beginning of July, replacing club great Renato Gaúcho, and quickly delivered results in continental competition. The 51-year-old manager, born in Angola and a naturalised Portuguese citizen, joined Vasco after seven seasons in Arab football, with spells at Al-Ain, Al-Nassr, Al-Khaleej and Al-Fayha.
His first objective was to bring greater balance to the team without sacrificing their attacking threat, and their knockout run has begun to confirm that approach. Vasco overcame Independiente Medellín in the Playoffs, eliminated Olimpia in the Round of 16 and saw off Independiente Santa Fe in the next round to reach the last four in the continent.
Pedro Emanuel has thus guided the ‘Cruz-Maltino’ through three knockout ties in the decisive phase of the Great Conquest. Their next challenge will come against a former winner of the competition, Boca Juniors.
Full Vasco da Gama Squad for the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana
Goalkeepers: 1. Leonardo Jardim - 13. Daniel Cerantola - 37. Pablo De Paula - 40. Phillipe Pires - 79. Marcos Soares.
Defenders: 2. Jose Rodriguez - 4. Alan Saldivia - 6. Lucas Piton - 29. Paulo Alves - 30. Robert Alves - 43. Lucas De Freitas - 46. Carlos Cuesta - 54. Alison Di Nardi - 60. João Fonseca - 63. Wanyson Nogueira - 64. Walace Alves - 66. Luis Soares - 80. Bruno Azevedo - 87. Breno Vereza - 91. Breno Sales - 96. Paulo Oliveira.
Midfielders: 3. Danilo Das Neves - 5. Santiago Sosa - 8. Jair Rodrigues Junior - 10. Johan Rojas - 23. Thiago Santos - 50. Gustavo Soares - 55. Luiz Locio - 62. Lucca Santos - 65. Leonardo De Souza - 67. Samuel De Jesus - 82. Riquelme Da Silva - 83. Ramon Rique De Souza - 85. Mateus Carvalho - 86. Lukas Rocha - 88. Cauan Barros - 98. João Pedro De Paula.
Forwards: 7. David Correa - 11. Carlos Gomez - 17. Nuno Rocha - 18. Marino Hinestroza - 20. Brenner Souza - 28. Adson Ferreira - 61. Alex Miranda - 72. Bruno Lopes - 74. Andrey De Oliveira - 77. Claudio Spinelli - 81. Lucas Da Costa - 84. Anderson Felix - 90. Diego Campos.
Vasco da Gama’s Key Player in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana: Léo Jardim
The Rio side's goalkeeper showcased his pedigree in the knockout phase: in the second leg of the Playoffs, he kept a clean sheet against Independiente Medellín to secure qualification. He was the standout performer in the first leg against Olimpia at São Januário and fully underlined his influence on the team in the tie against Independiente Santa Fe.
In the first meeting in Bogotá, he made crucial saves to keep Vasco alive as the ‘León’ threatened in attack. In the second leg, with the aggregate score still 0-0, he once again stepped up to become one of the Brazilian side's key figures in what would be a 2-0 home victory, with goals from Duarte and David.
Vasco da Gama’s Top Scorer in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana: Adson
It is impossible to discuss Vasco da Gama's goalscoring threat without mentioning Adson. The 25-year-old Brazilian forward has already scored four goals in this CONMEBOL Sudamericana: he scored and provided two assists in the 3-0 win over Olimpia during the Group Stage and, with a brace against Barracas Central, sealed the ‘Cruz-Maltino’s’ place in the Playoffs.
His influence was once again evident when the knockout phase began. After a goalless first leg against Olimpia, Vasco had to overturn the tie in Asunción, and Adson scored the third goal with a left-foot finish to swing the tie decisively in their favour. Claudio Spinelli then completed the 4-1 win that secured their place in the quarter-finals.
Whether creating or finishing, Adson remains one of the most dangerous players in the attacking unit. His four goals make him Vasco's leading scorer in the competition, and they have come at moments that explain much of the team's run: from qualification for the Playoffs to reaching the last four of the Great Conquest.
Vasco da Gama’s X-Factor in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana: Claudio Spinelli
The Argentine forward remains a valuable alternative capable of unlocking tight matches and providing a physical presence in the box. His CONMEBOL Sudamericana campaign already includes important goals: he scored in the comeback against Audax Italiano and also found the net for the 2-2 draw against Independiente Medellín in Colombia, a result that put Vasco in a strong position before they sealed their place in the Playoffs in Rio de Janeiro.
His influence was once again felt in the Round of 16. After the goalless first leg against Olimpia, Spinelli came off the bench in the second leg in Asunción and completed the 4-1 win with a header from a José Luis Rodríguez cross. It was his third goal of the competition and capped a night in which Vasco overturned an early deficit to reach the last eight.
Goals, physical presence and an ability to attack the box make Spinelli a different option for Pedro Emanuel. With Vasco now through to the semi-finals, the Argentine has once again shown that he can make an impact without starting as the team's main attacking reference: when a match calls for a different presence in the box, he is one of the players capable of changing its course.
Goals, intensity and his ability to attack the penalty area make Spinelli a different option for Pedro Emanuel. With Vasco already through to the Quarter-finals, the Argentine once again showed that he can make an impact even without starting as the team’s main attacking reference: whenever the match demands a different presence inside the box, he remains one of the players capable of changing its course.
Vasco da Gama’s History in the CONMEBOL Sudamericana
Vasco da Gama have to go back 15 years, to the 2011 edition of the Great Conquest, to find their best campaign in the competition. That side, managed by Cristóvão Borges, reached the semi-finals before being eliminated by Universidad de Chile, who won 3-1 on aggregate and went on to lift the trophy unbeaten.
The 2026 edition has once again taken the ‘Cruz-Maltino’ into the last four. After overcoming Independiente Medellín in the Playoffs, they eliminated Olimpia with a goalless draw in Rio de Janeiro and a 4-1 win in Asunción. They then saw off Independiente Santa Fe after drawing 0-0 in the first leg in Bogotá and winning 2-0 at home. Vasco have therefore matched their memorable 2011 campaign.
Their next opponents will be Boca Juniors, champions in 2004 and 2005. The Rio side once again have a genuine opportunity to reach the CONMEBOL Sudamericana Final, a stage that has so far remained absent from their history in the competition.
