- The Rio de Janeiro side endured a hard-fought campaign on their way to the CONMEBOL Sudamericana Round of 16, which they reached through the Playoffs.
The knockout stage will pit Vasco da Gama against Olimpia, a familiar opponent from the group stage against whom they recorded one win and one defeat.
The 'Cruz-Maltino', who already know what it means to lift a continental trophy, have a clear objective on the horizon: reaching the La Gran Conquista final, which will be played on Saturday, November 21 in Barranquilla. To achieve that goal, Pedro Emanuel’s side must first overcome Olimpia in a matchup with plenty of history on the international stage.
The Rio de Janeiro club and the 'Gumarelo' share an extensive history against one another. They met twice in the group stage of the current CONMEBOL Sudamericana campaign. Vasco won 3-0 in Rio de Janeiro, while Olimpia claimed the return fixture 3-1 in Asunción. Their previous meetings dated back to the group stage of the 1990 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Olimpia won 2-1 at home before Vasco prevailed 1-0 on Brazilian soil in an edition the Paraguayan side would ultimately win to secure their second Eternal Glory.
With three wins, one draw and two defeats, Vasco da Gama finished as group runners-up and had to contest the CONMEBOL Sudamericana Playoffs against Independiente Medellín. The first leg in Colombia ended in a closely fought 2-2 draw against Luis Amaranto Perea’s side. Thiago Mendes emerged as the hero of the tie, scoring five minutes from time in the second leg to send the Brazilian side through to the Round of 16.
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 (Brenner Marlos 45+3' PT / Michael Vadulli 17' ST - Franco Troyansky 41' ST).
Group G - Matchday 3: Vasco da Gama 3-0 Olimpia (José Luis Rodríguez 39' PT - Nuno Moreira 6' ST - Adson 10' ST).
Group G - Matchday 4: Audax Italiano 1-2 Vasco da Gama (Alan Saldivia 5' PT - own goal / Claudio Spinelli 19' ST - Matheus França 26' ST).
Group G - Matchday 5: Olimpia 3-1 Vasco da Gama (Mateo Gamarra 22' ST - Hugo Sandoval 40' ST - Sebastián Ferreira 45+4' ST / Carlos Cuesta 45+4' PT).
Group G - Matchday 6: Vasco da Gama 3-0 Barracas Central (Adson 32' PT and 45+2' PT - Jhojan Rojas 10' ST).
Playoffs - First Leg: Independiente Medellín 2-2 Vasco da Gama (John Montaño 45+4' PT and 27' ST / Joaquín Varela 1' ST - own goal - Claudio Spinelli 41' ST).
Playoffs - Second Leg: Vasco da Gama 1-0 Independiente Medellín (Thiago Mendes 40' ST).
Round of 16 - First Leg: Vasco da Gama vs. Olimpia - Thursday, August 13, 7:00 p.m. (local time), Estadio São Januário, Rio de Janeiro.
Round of 16 - Second Leg: Olimpia vs. Vasco da Gama - Thursday, August 20, 7:00 p.m. (local time), Estadio Defensores del Chaco, Asunción.
Vasco da Gama Head Coach in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana: Pedro Emanuel
The coach, who was already in charge of the team during the Playoffs, took over in early July as the replacement for club legend Renato Gaúcho. The 51-year-old, born in Angola and a naturalized Portuguese citizen, spent the previous seven seasons coaching in the Middle East, with spells at Al-Ain, Al-Nassr, Al-Khaleej and Al-Fayha.
“I arrive with great ambition, pride, dedication and total commitment, fully identified with the culture of this massive club and its passionate supporters,” Pedro Emanuel said upon joining Vasco. His first objective, and one that quickly became evident in his opening matches, was to strengthen the defensive side of a team that knows how to make the most of its attacking qualities once it regains possession.
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 - 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 Standout Player in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana: Nuno Moreira
The Portuguese attacker, born in Espinho, joined Vasco in February 2025 from Casa Pia and gradually earned his place before becoming an almost undisputed starter for the Rio de Janeiro side. His versatility allows him to operate with freedom across the entire attacking line, contributing creativity, forward runs and end product.
During the 'Cruz-Maltino' journey to the Round of 16, he scored the second goal in the 3-0 victory over Olimpia and provided two assists. He has also played more minutes than any other Vasco player across the eight matches the Brazilian side has contested in the competition so far.
Vasco da Gama’s Top Scorer in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana: Adson
Adson is an unavoidable reference point when discussing Vasco da Gama’s attacking firepower. The 25-year-old Brazilian forward has delivered with his play, his goals and his influence in decisive matches. In the 3-0 victory over Olimpia, he scored once and provided two assists — for Nuno Moreira and José Luis Rodríguez — in what proved to be a memorable night for him.
Whether creating chances or finishing them, Adson has been the most influential individual presence in Vasco’s attacking unit. On the final matchday of the group stage, he scored twice against Barracas Central to seal his side’s place in the La Gran Conquista Playoffs.
Vasco da Gama’s X-Factor in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana: Claudio Spinelli
The Argentine striker is the player who can unlock tight matches, particularly when physical battles become the defining feature of the contest. Spinelli has delivered important goals: when the first leg of the Playoffs tie appeared to be slipping away, the former Independiente del Valle forward equalized four minutes from the final whistle, giving Vasco some breathing room ahead of the decisive second leg.
He also sparked the comeback away to Audax Italiano in Chile. Over the past year and a half, across the CONMEBOL Libertadores and CONMEBOL Sudamericana, Spinelli has recorded ten goals and two assists in just 21 appearances. An option who brings goals, drive and energy.
Vasco da Gama’s History in the CONMEBOL Sudamericana
The Rio de Janeiro side must go back 15 years, to the 2011 edition of La Gran Conquista, to find the campaign that carried them all the way to the semifinals and still resonates with a club eager to return to the forefront of South American football.
On that occasion, Cristóvão Borges’ side were beaten 3-1 on aggregate by Universidad de Chile, who went on to lift the trophy while remaining unbeaten throughout the tournament.
