The 1998 Intercontinental Cup was an association football match played on 1 December 1998 between Real Madrid, winners of the 1997–98 UEFA Champions League, and Vasco da Gama, winners of the 1998 Copa Libertadores. The match was played at a neutral venue, the National Stadium in Tokyo, in front of 51,514 fans. Real Madrid forward Raúl was named as man of the match. Raul's game winning goal is widely recognized as one of the best of his career, and became known as the "Gol del Aguanis".

Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama, commonly referred to as Vasco da Gama or simply Vasco, is a sports club based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Although originally a rowing club and then a multi-sport club, Vasco is mostly known for its men's football team, which currently competes in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, the top tier of the Brazilian football league system, and in the Campeonato Carioca, the state of Rio de Janeiro's premier state league.