Hulk Took One of Football’s Most Powerful Free-Kicks vs Santos

Givanildo Vieira de Sousa is the definition of a footballing cult hero. Well, he is when you refer to him by his apt nickname, Hulk.

The Brazilian forward, who’s the spitting image of American actor Lou Ferrigno, is one of the most famous players in the world, despite having never played in one of Europe’s top five leagues. Hulk has had something of a journeyman career, representing professional clubs in Portugal, Japan, China, Russia and his native Brazil.

Wherever he’s played, the muscle-bound star has scored goals aplenty, with a number of them absolute rockets. Hulk’s supreme physical condition, which is perhaps closer to a bodybuilder than a footballer, means he can strike a ball harder than virtually anyone else with his legendary left peg.

Hulk’s Thunderbolt Strike

When the 39-year-old takes aim from distance, goalkeepers and defenders know to be very, very afraid. It would be easy to sit here and wax lyrical about Hulk’s missiles that have resulted in goals, but instead, it’s time to relive an effort that actually struck the post.

Don’t worry, the fact that the ball came into contact with the woodwork doesn’t hamper the absolute absurdity of it all. In 2022, Hulk blew the minds of football fans when he took perhaps the most powerful free-kick ever seen while representing Atletico Mineiro in a match against Santos.

The ball was struck with such venom that it nearly broke the post in two. In fact, the power generated by Hulk saw the resulting deflection nearly kick-start a counter-attack for Santos.

The phrase ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ has never been more applicable to a moment in a football match. The goalkeeper must have felt relieved he wasn’t required to attempt to save the effort. Fans were blown away by the strike, commenting: ‘Possibly the hardest shot I’ve ever seen’, ‘That’s genuinely frightening’, and ‘How can someone generate this much power?!’

Hulk’s Legendary Career

Hulk’s rise to fame came during his time in Portugal, playing for FC Porto from 2008 to 2012. The forward became a household name on the European stage for his rocket of a left foot and unique stature. Big things were expected of him and several of Europe’s elite clubs were linked with signing the ex-Sao Paulo youth academy prospect.

However, the Russian Premier League was emerging as one of the wealthiest leagues around and Zenit St Petersburg snapped up the talented Brazilian. He added one more league title to the four he won with Porto and departed the European game, moving to China.

Hulk returned to Brazil in January 2021 after a goal-filled stint in the Chinese Super League with Shanghai SIPG, playing alongside ex-Chelsea ace and fellow countryman Oscar. The forward spent five years at Atletico Mineiro and he enjoyed a fair amount of success at the club.

He played a pivotal role in the club’s treble-winning 2021 season, finishing as the country’s top scorer in the process. Hulk scored 140 times in 309 matches in Atletico Mineiro colours, which is a mighty impressive record. Despite being in his late 30s, the attacker is still scoring goals for his new club, Fluminense.

All statistics in this article are courtesy of Transfermarkt (Correct as of 09/11/26).