São Januário turns 99; relive Vasco’s grand celebration | OneFootball

On Tuesday (21), São Januário Stadium turns 99 years old. It was inaugurated on the holiday of April 21, 1927, making it the largest sports venue in all of South America at the time. The imposing architectural project was designed by Portuguese architect Ricardo Severo and built in just 10 months and 15 days by the Danish construction company Christiani & Nielsen. The monumental work was made possible entirely through funds raised by Vasco members.

The event brought the country’s then federal capital, Rio de Janeiro, to a standstill. The official opening ceremony featured distinguished guests who cut the inaugural black-and-white ribbon. Among those present were the President of the Republic, Washington Luís, the president of the Brazilian Sports Confederation (CBD), Oscar Rodrigues da Costa, and Portuguese aviator José Manuel Sarmento de Beires. In the stands, a distributed statement explained the board’s strong भावना:

+ Vasco negotiates São Januário’s development potential with three interested parties

Kickoff at São Januário – Photo: Reproduction

Historic goals and Vasco’s defeat in the inaugural match

The main football match pitted Vasco’s squad against the strong Santos side, lethally led by forwards Araken Patusca and Feitiço. The lively scoreline ended in a 5-3 victory for the São Paulo team. The first official goal in the stadium’s history was scored by Evangelista of Santos in the 19th minute of the first half, silencing the huge crowd of fans in attendance.

Center-forward Negrito had the honor of scoring the home side’s first-ever goal, heading in the equalizer near the end of the first half after a cross from Russinho. In the second half, Gallego and Paschoal also scored for Vasco, but the visitors showed tremendous attacking superiority and secured the win. During halftime of the friendly, the country’s president was served champagne in the stadium’s VIP box.

Crowds pack in behind the goal and in the stands – Photo: Reproduction

National sporting importance and wait for expansion

Before the football kicked off, the Cruz-Maltino board organized preliminary tennis and basketball matches to entertain the crowd. The basketball court was set up temporarily outdoors, where the home team defeated the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) 22-18. The complex’s original layout on opening day did not yet include the traditional curved stands behind the goals, which were only completed a few months after the celebration.

The sports venue remained the undisputed largest and most modern stadium in Brazil until the construction of Pacaembu in 1940. The pitch hosted major Brazil National Team matches until the opening of the Maracanã in 1950. Nearly a century after its lavish inauguration, Vasco’s stadium remains the largest privately owned venue in the city.

Now, the fans are eagerly waiting to see the promised renovation project finally get off the ground, ensuring modernization and the long-awaited expansion of the stands, while it remains the city’s largest private venue and a gigantic symbol of resilience, pride, and unity for its passionate fan base spread across the country.

São Januário renovation project, Vasco’s stadium — Photo: Project by Sergio Moreira Dias, Felipe Nicolau, Willian Freixo, Clarissa Pereira and Ana Carolina Dias

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This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.