Corinthians face Vasco: chasing fourth Copa do Brasil title

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Central do Timão

·20 December 2025

Corinthians face Vasco: chasing fourth Copa do Brasil title

By Daniel Keppler / Central do Timão Editorial Team

On the evening of this Sunday (21), Corinthians takes the field for the last time in 2025. Playing at Maracanã starting at 6pm (Brasília time), the Alvinegro faces Vasco in the second leg of the Copa do Brasil final. In the first match, the teams drew 0-0 at Neo Química Arena, and as a result, the People’s Team needs a win to secure their fourth championship in the tournament without relying on penalties.

This is the eighth Copa do Brasil final that Corinthians has played, having won the tournament three times and finishing as runners-up on four other occasions. This means, in practice, that Corinthians has managed to reach the tournament final in 27% of its 30 participations since debuting in the cup in 1989. Recall below all the editions in which Timão has been a finalist so far:

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Photo: Daniel Augusto Jr./FOTOARENA

First final: 1995 (Champion)

Corinthians qualified for the 1995 Copa do Brasil as champions of the 1994 Copa Bandeirantes. And in their fifth participation in the national competition, they won the unprecedented title, eliminating Operário-VG, Rio Branco, Paraná, and Vasco before reaching the final against Grêmio. Timão won both legs of the final, 1-0 and 2-1, and took home the trophy.

Second final: 2001 (Runner-up)

After a brief participation in 2000, Corinthians came close to a second title in 2001. Timão got past Joinville in the first round and also eliminated Goiânia, Flamengo-PI, Athletico-PR, and Ponte Preta before reaching the final against Grêmio, where they lost 5-3 on aggregate and suffered their first runner-up finish in the history of the Copa do Brasil.

Third final: 2002 (Champion)

But Corinthians redeemed themselves the following year after their runner-up finish and won the Copa do Brasil again in 2002, seven years after their first title in 1995. Under Parreira, they eliminated River-PI, Americano, Cruzeiro, Paraná, and São Paulo throughout the competition and faced Brasiliense in the final. The trophy came after a 3-2 aggregate win.

Fourth final: 2008 (Runner-up)

Corinthians qualified for the 2008 Copa do Brasil through the CBF ranking and suffered another runner-up finish, this time in the final against Sport, losing the title due to the away goals rule after a 3-3 aggregate draw in the final. Throughout the competition, under Mano Menezes, they eliminated Barras, Fortaleza, Goiás, São Caetano, and Botafogo.

Fifth final: 2009 (Champion)

The third championship finally came in 2009, seven years after the second title. The Alvinegro squad at the time featured the former star Ronaldo Fenômeno and names like Jorge Henrique and Dentinho. During that edition of the Copa do Brasil, Corinthians eliminated Itumbiara, Misto, Athletico-PR, Fluminense, and Vasco before defeating Internacional 4-2 on aggregate in the final.

Sixth final: 2018 (Runner-up)

Nine years after last reaching the final, Corinthians returned to the Copa do Brasil final in 2018, but suffered another runner-up finish, this time to Cruzeiro, at the Neo Química Arena, after a 3-1 aggregate defeat and a controversy involving a disallowed goal by attacking midfielder Pedrinho via VAR. Throughout the competition, Timão got past Vitória, Chapecoense, and Flamengo.

Seventh final: 2022 (Runner-up)

Four years after the runner-up finish to Cruzeiro, Corinthians once again came close in the latest edition of the Copa do Brasil. In 2022, Timão entered directly in the third round and got past Portuguesa-RJ, Santos, Atlético-GO, and Fluminense before reaching the final against Flamengo. Under Vítor Pereira, they drew both matches, 0-0 in Itaquera and 1-1 at Maracanã, and lost the trophy on penalties.

Eighth final: 2025 (Ongoing)

Three years after their last final, Corinthians once again reaches the Copa do Brasil final. In the current edition, Timão started their campaign in the third round, getting past Novorizontino, Palmeiras, Athletico-PR, and Cruzeiro before reaching the final against Vasco. After a 0-0 draw in the first leg in Itaquera, the title will be decided at Maracanã.

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