- Since the coach took charge on 15 August, the 40-year-old forward has scored six goals and provided three assists in eight matches.
- He was also involved in all three of 'Flu''s goals in their Quarter-final tie against Platense.
Hulk's numbers at Fluminense can be divided into two distinct spells, with 15 August 2026 marking the turning point. That day, two days after Luis Zubeldía's departure, Marcão took charge of 'Flu' for the first time and the forward headed home in a 3-2 win over Palmeiras at the Maracanã. Since then, Hulk has played eight matches, scoring six goals and providing three assists. Before that, under Zubeldía, he had made seven appearances, with one goal and one assist. Same player, different coach, different level of performance.
The continental competition has brought out one of the most complete versions of Hulk. At the Maracanã, in the first leg against Platense, he set up Nonato and scored the second goal in a 2-0 win; in Vicente López, with 'Flu' having surrendered their advantage and failed to register a shot on target in the opening 45 minutes, he led the counter-attack and used his left foot to set up Agustín Canobbio for the goal that sealed qualification. Three Fluminense goals in the tie, three direct contributions from Hulk.
The night at the Maracanã also produced a record: at 40 years and 45 days old, he became the oldest player to both score and provide an assist in the same CONMEBOL competition match since data became available in 2013, surpassing Carlos Saucedo, who had done so for San José at the age of 39 years and 226 days in 2019. Since returning to South America in February 2021, no player has provided more assists in CONMEBOL tournaments: 15, with thirteen for Atlético Mineiro and two for Fluminense.
The context surrounding his arrival adds even more significance to his current form. Hulk terminated his contract with Atlético Mineiro on 1 May after five seasons, 311 appearances, 140 goals and 56 assists that established him as one of 'Galo''s leading figures and greatest idols. Less than a week later, Fluminense announced his signing on a deal running until 31 December 2027, on a free transfer and with the No7 shirt available to him. He turned 40 on 25 July, one day before scoring his first official goal for the Rio de Janeiro club, from the penalty spot against Grêmio. The start was difficult: one goal in seven matches and doubts among the supporters at the Maracanã, something he himself acknowledged in August with a line that sounds very different now: “The fans have every right to demand more and to boo. They want results, and we work to deliver results.”
Those results arrived under Marcão, and the coach has a footballing explanation for the turnaround. “We have great, talented players, and we could not play as disconnected units. A transition-based game in which Hulk attacked the space all the time needed balance so that we could get the best out of him,” he said after the 3-1 win over Corinthians on 20 September, a match in which the forward scored twice. “Now he attacks the space, comes inside and is able to get involved in the play. He looks sharp and helps us every day. He is having a brilliant season and I believe he will continue like this until the end of the year,” added the coach who, after almost three decades at the club, is only now beginning to shape his career in charge of a professional first team. The forward returned the compliment that same night: “As for Marcão, he is an exceptional human being who treats everyone well and with respect.”
That night in São Paulo also offered a glimpse of what Hulk is prepared to give. He played the second half while dealing with discomfort that had begun towards the end of the first, scored the second of his two goals in the 76th minute and described it without any sense of drama: “I started to feel unwell, with nausea in my stomach. I tried to hold on until the end of the first half so I could take some medication at half-time.” He went on to score twice.
Next up is Palmeiras in the CONMEBOL Libertadores Semifinals, with the first leg at the Maracanã on 14 October and the return match in São Paulo on 21 October. Hulk knows this stage better than anyone else in the Fluminense dressing room: he lost the 2024 Libertadores Final and the 2025 Sudamericana Final with Atlético Mineiro, and arrived in Rio, as he said at his presentation, to become part of the “Tricolor family”.
Five months later, that family is putting its faith in him. In the six matches in which he has scored or provided an assist under Marcão, Fluminense have won four, drawn one and lost only in Vicente López, with qualification already effectively secured. Although he did not perform at this level from the very start, Hulk knows all about decisive moments and when that extra effort can truly make the difference. Since 15 August, “The Incredible Hulk” has been in that mode.
