Vasco and Vitória open the first leg of the Copa do Brasil 2026 quarterfinals on Wednesday at 21:30 at São Januário, a tie that immediately shifts the focus from domestic frustration to knockout pressure. TV Globo, sportv and Premiere will show the match live, with Amazon Prime also listed among the transmission options.
The game lands at a moment when both sides have reasons to believe they can move on. Vasco reached this stage after eliminating Fluminense, holding a 0-0 draw in the first leg before winning 3-1 at the Maracanã, while Vitória advanced with comeback wins over Flamengo and Athletico at the Barradão. For readers searching Vasco vs Vitória now, this is the point where the calendar, the venue and the television window all line up.
Pedro Emanuel does not intend to make major changes to Vasco’s starting lineup, and the plan is to use the players in the best physical condition. That leaves Cuiabano expected to be preserved after reporting muscle pain against Palmeiras, while Andrés Gómez is listed as suspended and the probable XI includes Léo Jardim, Paulo Henrique, Cuesta, Robert Renan, Lucas Piton, Sosa, Thiago Mendes, Tchê Tchê, Adson, Andrés Gómez and Colidio. Brenner, Jair, Rojas, Mateus Carvalho and Cuiabano are also listed as absentees.
On the other side, Vitória arrives with its own adjustments. Martínez is expected to return to the starting eleven, Diego Tarzia is suspended, and Caíque Gonçalves trained on Tuesday before traveling to Rio de Janeiro with the delegation, keeping him in the frame for the lineup. Vitória’s probable team is Lucas Arcanjo, Brítez, Cacá, Luan Cândido, Ramon, Walace, Zé Vitor, Martínez, Erick, Matheuzinho and Renê, with Pochettino, Alex Bruno, Diego Tarzia, Gabriel Baralhas, Rúben Ismael, Camutanga, Edu, Dudu, Nathan Mendes and Anderson Pato among the absentees.
What makes the quarterfinal opener more complicated is the gap between Vasco’s cup and league form. It comes in with no wins in eight Campeonato Brasileiro matches and sits second to last with 22 points, yet its route past Fluminense shows it can handle two-legged pressure when the margin for error is thin. Vitória, meanwhile, has not beaten any Série A team away from home this season, which puts extra weight on how it manages the first leg before the return game.
Matheus Delgado Candançan will referee the match, with Danilo Ricardo Simon Manis and Alex Ang Ribeiro as assistants, Paulo Roberto Alves Júnior as fourth official and Daniel Nobre Bins on VAR. The practical question now is not whether the tie has started — it has — but whether Vasco can turn its cup momentum into a clean first-leg advantage, or whether Vitória leaves São Januário keeping the return leg alive on terms it can use.
