Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈvaʃku dɐ ˈɡɐ̃mɐ], Vasco da Gama Rowing Club), usually known as Vasco da Gama, is a famous traditional Brazilian multisports club from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It was founded on August 21, 1898 (although the professional football department started on November 5, 1915), by Portuguese immigrants, and it is still traditionally supported by the Portuguese community of Rio de Janeiro. It is one of the most popular clubs in Brazil, with more than 20 million supporters