After starting out professionally withVitória and then playing three years in Japan, he played several seasons in Portugal withPorto, winning ten titles – including the2010–11 UEFA Europa League and threenational championships. He was crowned the league'stop scorer once. In 2012, he joinedRussian Premier League sideZenit Saint Petersburg for €60 million, winning all three domestic honours and being named the competition's best player and being top scorer, once each. He was transferred to Shanghai SIPG for an Asian record €58.6 million in 2016.
He is described byFIFA's official website as "a direct powerhouse of a centre- or wide-forward who knows his way around the box".[3] He is strongly built for a footballer and acquired his nickname from his father, who was a fan of the1970s Incredible Hulk television series starringLou Ferrigno.[4]
Born inCampina Grande,Paraíba, Hulk started playing professionally with Esporte Clube Vitória inSalvador, Bahia, where he signed his first professional contract with the club at age 16.[5] While progressing through the Esporte Clube Vitória's youth system, Hulk played in a left winger, midfielder, forward and fullback.[5] Hulk then went on loan to Japan to play forKawasaki Frontale after catching the eye of a representative from Kawasaki Frontale.[6] Despite having been purchased on 15 January 2006,[7] Hulk was loaned to second divisionConsadole Sapporo, effective on 1 February,[7] where he played all the2006 season and scored 25 goals, one less than the top scorer.
In2007, he was loaned again to asecond division team,Tokyo Verdy,[8] where he was even more effective, scoring 37 goals in 42 matches and being the top goal scorer of the season. He briefly returned[9] to Kawasaki in 2008 and rejoined Verdy[10] after only 18 matches.
After Hulk's stay in Japan, he moved to Portugal to joindefending championsPorto,[11] who purchased 50% of his playing rights for €5.5 million from Uruguayan sideRentistas,[12] with the transfer fee being received by anunnamed investor.
When Moroccan teammateTarik Sektioui suffered an injury, Hulk was given an opportunity to play forward and scored his first official domestic league goal for Porto in a 2–0 home win againstC.F. Os Belenenses, later adding againstF.C. Paços de Ferreira (same venue and result), both as a second-halfsubstitute. Asthe season advanced, he became an undisputed starter, forming an attacking trio withCristian Rodríguez andLisandro López, with the trio often shifting positions. After some stellar performances inthe season'sUEFA Champions League, he was elected as one of theTop 10 Rising Stars byUEFA.com.[13] In late August 2009, he extended his contract to June 2014, with a buy-out clause increased to €100 million.[14]
In the2009–10 season, Hulk established as an automatic first-choice. However, following a tunnel brawl during theleague loss againstS.L. Benfica (1–0) on 20 December 2009, he received a four-month ban (if the disciplinary hearing upheld the ban, he faced up to three years on the sidelines), only for the domestic competitions, as did his teammateCristian Săpunaru.[15] The ban was later reduced to four matches, and the player returned to league action on 28 March 2010 after missing 3 months and 18 matches, scoring in a 3–0 win at Belenenses.[16] One week later, he also scored in a 4–1 home victory overC.S. Marítimo.[17] With six less matches played than the previous season, he ended with five league goals.
Hulk started the2010–11 season scoring 16 times in his first 16 official matches, including ahat-trick againstK.R.C. Genk in theUEFA Europa Leagueplay-off stage, on 26 August 2010 (4–2 home win, 7–2 on aggregate).[18] From September to January, he won thePortuguese Championship Player of the Month, making him the only player to have won the award six times. On 7 November 2010, he scored the last two goals as Porto trounced Benfica 5–0 at home, creating a ten-point difference between the two teams,[19] with the northerners leading the league, and eventually winning it, with the player leading the goalscoring charts.
On 13 May 2011, Porto paid €13.5 million to Rentistas for another 40% of Hulk's playing rights, bringing their total stake to 85% (Porto sold back 5% after renewing his contract in 2009), with the player signing a new contract valid until 2016 and with a buy-out clause of €100 million.[20][21] He finished the season with 36 goals in 53 official matches, with his team winning four major titles, including a league/cupdouble.
On 7 April 2012, Hulk scored the solitary goal as Porto defeatedS.C. Braga away to go four points clear at the top of the Primeira Liga table.[22] He scored six goals in the following three matches, including a brace in a 2–0 home defeat ofSporting CP,[23] and finished the2011–12 season with 16 league goals as his team won another national championship. In May 2012, he was voted the Player of the Month for April for a record sixth time,[24] and he added 11assists, a competition best.[25]
On 17 February 2014, Hulk was ordered to pay a €45,000 fine for assaulting two stewards at theEstádio da Luz.[26][27][28]
On 3 September 2012, Hulk completeda transfer of €60 million, with Porto receiving €40 million,[fn 1] toRussian Premier League clubFC Zenit Saint Petersburg, reuniting with former Porto teammateBruno Alves.[29] This transfer fee caused a lot of debate and a great stir since Mitrofanov, General director from Zenit denied publicly.[31] Russian media R-Sport even claimed that Mitrofanov had shown the media the sales contract and the fee on the contract was €40 million and not €60 million.[32] However, Porto also confirmed in its unaudited quarterly report in Q1 2012–13 that the club did not pay for third parties ownership (15%), agent fee norsolidarity contribution (5%), which all normally included in the transfer fee, as in the case ofRadamel Falcao.[33]
Hulk scored his first goal for his new club in only his second league match, againstFC Krylia Sovetov Samara, finding the net with a trademark shot from outside the box in a 2–2 away draw.[34]
In the second half of September, media speculation reported that teammatesIgor Denisov andAleksandr Kerzhakov were unsatisfied with Hulk's wage, and that they demanded renegotiation of their contracts. As a result, they were sent to the youth squad.[35] Denisov replied in an interview withSport Express stating that his stand-off with club management was over "the proper organisation of the team. And respect for the Russian players which Zenit has always relied upon".[34] A few days after the feud, he scored and assisted in a 2–1 win againstFC Baltika Kaliningrad forthe fifth round of theRussian Cup. A few weeks later, he scored his first Champions League goal for Zenit and provided an assist in a 3–2 loss againstA.C. Milan in the second matchday of group stage.
After falling out with head coachLuciano Spalletti, Hulk declared he was seeking to leave the club in January. However,FIFA regulations ban players from playing for more than two clubs in a season, forcing him to stay in Russia at least until June 2013.[36] Eventually, he revealed he made amends with the club's management and that things have been resolved.[37] In a 3–1 loss against the Ukrainian side ofShakhtar Donetsk, he suffered a head injury after falling under a challenge and connecting his head with a Shakhtar defender's studs in the second half. He was then taken to a localDubai hospital.[38] Following Zenit's third-place finish in the Champions League group stage, the club entered into the Europa League. He scored a goal in each leg of Zenit's knockout phase match to eliminate English sideLiverpool from the Europa League in theround of 32 by away goals, despite losing 3–1 in the second leg.[39] On 4 May 2013, he scored his first hat-trick of his Zenit career and assisted a goal, in a 4–0 win over league strugglersAlania Vladikavkaz.[40]
On 16 February 2015, Hulk signed two-year contract extension with the club.[41][42][43] On 17 May, his free kick in a 1–1 draw atFC Ufa gave Zenitthe league title with two matches to spare.[44]
On 30 June 2016, Hulk joined Chinese clubShanghai SIPG from Zenit for a reported £45 million, an Asian football record. He would earn £320,000 per week, accumulating to £16.6 million per year.[47] On 10 July, Hulk forcedRyan McGowan's own goal nine minutes into his debut in a 5–0 win overHenan Jianye. However, just 12 minutes later, he was stretchered off the pitch with a muscle injury.[48][49] On 9 September, Hulk scored his first two goals for Shanghai SIPG againstBeijing Guoan after a two-month injury lay-off.[50]
Hulk made a total of 145 appearances and scored a total of 77 goals across all competitions during his time in Shanghai.[51]
On 29 January 2021, Hulk returned to Brazil and joinedAtlético Mineiro on a two-year contract.[52][53] He made his debut on 7 March, assisting the fourth goal forDiego Tardelli in a 4–0Campeonato Mineiro win overUberlândia.[54] On 19 March, he scored his first goal for the club, from a penalty kick, in a 3–0 win overCoimbra.[55]
After a tough spell in April, with six games without scoring and being relegated to the bench,[56] Hulk picked up his form in theCopa Libertadores againstAmérica de Cali andCerro Porteño, scoring a brace in each game.[57][58] On 22 May, Atlético were crowned the Campeonato Mineiro champions, and Hulk was voted by journalists into the team of the tournament.[59][60]
On 17 July, Hulk scored both goals in a 2–1 turnaround win overCorinthians, in theSérie A.[61] In the next round, he again scored twice in a 3–0 win overBahia.[62] On 21 November, he became top scorer of the league after yet another brace in a 2–0 win overJuventude.[63] On 2 December, when Atlético played for the league title and was 2–0 down against Bahia at theFonte Nova arena, Hulk kick-started a comeback by scoring from a penalty; five minutes later, a brace fromKeno snatched the three points that secured the 2021 Série A trophy toGalo.[64] In the following match, a 4–3 win overRed Bull Bragantino at theMineirão, Hulk scored his 19th goal in 35 appearances, ending the league season as top scorer.[65]
Hulk appeared in all ten matches of Atlético'sCopa do Brasil-winning campaign, scoring once in eight of them, including both legs of thefinal againstAthletico Paranaense.[66] He became only the second player to be top scorer in both the Série A and Copa do Brasil in a same season, repeatingGabriel Barbosa's feat in 2018.[67]
In the2022 Supercopa do Brasil against Flamengo on 20 February 2022, Hulk scored a second-half equalizer to tie the match at 2–2 and then converted two penalties in an eventual 8–7 shootout victory.[74] At the end of the match, he received the award for best player of the competition.[75] On 16 March, Hulk renewed his contract until the end of 2024, with the option to extend until 2025.[76] The following week, on 23 March, he scored both goals in the 2–0 victory overCaldense in the first leg of the2022 Campeonato Mineiro semifinals, becoming the top scorer at theMineirão with 32 goals, overtakingGiorgian de Arrascaeta.[77] In the final on 2 April, Hulk scored twice in a 3–1 win over Cruzeiro, thus lifting his fourth trophy for Atlético in a four-month period.[78][79] He finished the tournament as its top scorer, with ten goals in eight appearances.[80]
In the first matchday of theSérie A, Hulk scored both goals in a 2–0 victory against Internacional.[81] On 19 May, he scored a brace in a 3–1 victory overIndependiente del Valle, which secured his side's spot in the round of 16 of the Copa Libertadores.[82] The following week, on 28 May, he made his 88th appearance for Atlético in a Copa Libertadores loss toDeportes Tolima, drawing level withRonaldinho; coincidentally, both made 59 goal contributions after 88 matches for Atlético.[83] Hulk made his 100th appearance for Atlético in the round of 16 of the Copa do Brasil against Flamengo at the Maracanã on 14 July, which ended in elimination.[84] On 3 August, Hulk scored against Palmeiras in the quarter-finals of the Copa Libertadores to become the club's top scorer in the competition with 12 goals, surpassing the previous record set byJô.[85]
In March and April 2023, the 36-year-old Hulk played a crucial role in the Atlético Mineiro team that won the2023 Campeonato Mineiro, scoring his side's only goal in the semifinal tie againstAthletic,[86] and then scored in both legs of the final againstAmérica, including a last-minute winner in the first leg and a brace in the second, finishing the tournament as its top scorer with 11 goals.[87] On 6 August, the 37-year-old Hulk scored a long-range free kick in a 2–0 league win over São Paulo, which ended a 10-match winless streak.[88] On 12 November, Hulk scored his 400th career goal in official matches in a Série A match against Goiás, doing so in 766 matches.[89]
On 9 March, Hulk scored his 100th goal for Atlético Mineiro in a 2–0 win over América in the semifinals of the2024 Campeonato Mineiro.[90] He then scored in both legs of the final against Cruzeiro, finishing the tournament as its top scorer (7 goals) for the fourth time in a row, an unprecedented feat, overtaking the three-peats ofNinão (1928–30) andTostão (1966–68).[91] This meant that he had now played 10 matches over the course of six finals for Atlético Mineiro, scoring ten goals to help his side to six victories and four draws.[92] In November, however, Atlético lost both legs in the final of the2024 Copa do Brasil to Flamengo and then lost the2024 Copa Libertadores final to Botafogo 1–3, despite assising his side's only goal in that match.[93] After the match, Hulk was in tears as he apologized to the fans for the loss.[93]
A few months earlier, on 21 July, Hulk, just four days shy of his 38th birthday, scored his 50th Série A goal with a brace in a 2–0 win over Vasco da Gama; this was also his 20th brace with the club.[94] With 19 goals scored in the 2024 season, Hulk reached the mark of 114 goals for Atlético, thus surpassingDiego Tardelli to become the club's top scorer in the 21st century.[95]
At the2014 World Cup, in the round of 16 match againstChile inBelo Horizonte, Hulk had a goal disallowed for a handball. In the shootout, he had his penalty saved byClaudio Bravo, although Brazil nonetheless advanced.[102]
Hulk was called up for theCopa América Centenario in 2016, making one appearance as a substitute in Brazil's group stage campaign.
In August 2021, Hulk received his first call up to the national team in five years for2022 World Cup qualifiers;[103] he appeared as a substitute in a 2–0 win overPeru on 9 September.
Born and raised inCampina Grande,Paraíba, Hulk was the fourth of seven children and the fourth son born to his parents.[5] He began to play football at three years old, thanks to his father.[5]
Hulk was previously married to Iran Angelo de Souza, who he met in Japan. The pair married in 2007 before separating in July 2019. They have two sons, Ian and Tiago, and a daughter, Alice. After splitting from Iran, Hulk began dating her niece, Camila Angelo in October 2019.[104]
It was reported in March 2020 that Hulk had married Camila, in part due to her needing a visa to stay in China with Hulk. In April 2022 Camila gave birth to their first baby together, daughter Zaya. This meaning that she is Hulk's fourth child.[105]
^Based on Porto did not have obligation to pay for third parties ownership (15%), agent fee (€8M) and solidarity contribution (5%),[29] total for €20 million[30]
^フッキ選手獲得のお知らせ (Press release) (in Japanese). Kawasaki Frontale. 10 February 2005.Archived from the original on 25 July 2012. Retrieved7 November 2017.
^abフッキ選手移籍のお知らせ (Press release) (in Japanese). Kawasaki Frontale. 15 January 2006.Archived from the original on 26 July 2012. Retrieved7 November 2017.
^フッキ選手期限付き移籍加入のお知らせ(1/9) (Press release) (in Japanese). Tokyo Verdy. 9 January 2007. Archived fromthe original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved7 November 2017.
^フッキ選手期限付き移籍期間満了のお知らせ (Press release) (in Japanese). Tokyo Verdy. 19 December 2007. Archived fromthe original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved7 November 2017.
^フッキ選手加入のお知らせ(4/2) (Press release) (in Japanese). Tokyo Verdy. 2 April 2008. Archived fromthe original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved7 November 2017.
^フッキ選手移籍のお知らせ(7/27) (Press release) (in Japanese). Tokyo Verdy. 27 July 2008. Archived fromthe original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved7 November 2017.
^"Comunicado" [Announcement](PDF) (in Portuguese). FC Porto. 25 July 2008. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 13 August 2010. Retrieved25 September 2010.
^Alvarenga, Vítor Hugo (3 April 2010)."F.C. Porto-Marítimo, 4-1 (crónica)".Mais Futebol (in Portuguese). IOL.Archived from the original on 30 November 2021. Retrieved30 November 2021.
^屋漏偏逢连夜雨！胡尔克首秀进球被认定对手乌龙 [A series of unfortunate event: Hulk debut goal was corrected as own goal] (in Chinese (China)). Sina. 10 July 2016. Retrieved11 July 2016.
^"Goleada de líder" [Leader's rout] (in Brazilian Portuguese). Clube Atlético Mineiro. 7 March 2021. Archived fromthe original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved7 March 2021.
^"Atlético-MG é campeão da Supercopa do Brasil" [Atlético-MG is the champion of the Brazilian Super Cup].cultura.uol.com.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). 20 February 2022.Archived from the original on 17 April 2023. Retrieved5 July 2025.
^"Hulk faz 100º jogo no Atlético-MG..." [Hulk makes 100th appearance for Atlético-MG...].ge.globo.com (in Brazilian Portuguese). 14 July 2022. Retrieved5 July 2025.
^"Hulk marca dois e é novamente artilheiro do Estadual" [Hulk scores twice and is once again the top scorer in the State Championship].atletico.com.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). 9 April 2023.Archived from the original on 7 September 2024. Retrieved5 July 2025.
1 AsHors concours 2Placar started to give this prize to the best grade holder atBola de Prata since 1973. In its 2013 ceremonies, a Bola de Ouro was given to Dirceu Lopes, holder of the best 1971 grade.Francisco Reyes andElías Figueroa, holders of 1970 and 1972 ones respectively, have not been announced as these years' winners yet.
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