With a historic rivalry, Fluminense and Vasco are competing for more than just a place in the Copa do Brasil final.

• Turn: Fluminense has Canobbio as asset to overcome deficit against Vasco in Copa do Brasil semi-final
• Pirate: Vegetti scores from the bench for the first time since August and provides Vasco with the expected weapon

Facing a historic rivalry between fans, which has intensified in recent years, the classic is full of ingredients that go beyond the rankings for the decision.

The possibility of playing in a national final by eliminating a rival is enough to give the scale of the confrontation. Whoever advances will arrive full of morale to decide the title of the competition with the support of their supporters, since Fluminense or Vasco will play the second match at home. And other “pieces on the board” are at stake.

Having faced financial difficulties in recent decades, clubs know the importance not only sporting but also economic in winning the Copa do Brasil. After all, the winner of the tournament will earn around R$77 million, while the runner-up will earn R$33 million. For comparison, Botafogo received around 48 million reais for the 2024 Brazilian title – the CBF has yet to officially release this year’s value, but it is expected to exceed 50 million reais.

In addition to the millionaire prize, Fluminense and Vasco are aiming for the title to break the tie in the main cup tally: both have a total of one Libertadores, four Brazilians and one Copa do Brasil. This is also why the teams want to manage the result of the semi-final in their own way.

The tricolor is trying to make the decision to maintain the sequence of champion years: Carioca (2022 and 2023), Libertadores (2023) and Recopa (2024). In terms of rivalry, it is also an opportunity to prevent the rival from qualifying for the Libertadores. Flu has already secured a direct place in the competition via Brasileirão, while Cruz-Maltino needs the cup to qualify for the tournament.

On the other hand, the Cruz-Maltino can end long fasts that still torment the minds of fans: winning a national title again after 14 years – the last being precisely the Copa do Brasil of 2011. Moreover, since the 2016 Carioca Championship it has been nine years without being champion.