Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Givanildo Vieira de Sousa[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Date of birth | 25 July 1986 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Campina Grande, Brazil | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Position(s) | Forward | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Atlético Mineiro | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Number | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
1998–2000 | Serrano-PB | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2000 | Campinense | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2001–2002 | Vilanovense | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2002 | São Paulo | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2003–2004 | Vitória | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||
2004–2006 | Vitória | 2 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
2005 | → Kawasaki Frontale (loan) | 9 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
2006–2008 | Kawasaki Frontale | 2 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
2006 | → Consadole Sapporo (loan) | 38 | (25) | ||||||||||||||||||||
2007 | → Tokyo Verdy (loan) | 42 | (37) | ||||||||||||||||||||
2008 | Tokyo Verdy | 11 | (7) | ||||||||||||||||||||
2008–2012 | Porto | 99 | (54) | ||||||||||||||||||||
2012–2016 | Zenit Saint Petersburg | 97 | (56) | ||||||||||||||||||||
2016–2020 | Shanghai SIPG | 100 | (51) | ||||||||||||||||||||
2021– | Atlético Mineiro | 152 | (86) | ||||||||||||||||||||
International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
2012 | Brazil Olympic (O.P.) | 6 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
2009–2021 | Brazil | 49 | (11) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15:05, 20 October 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 9 September 2021 |
Givanildo Vieira de Sousa (born 25 July 1986), mononymously known as Hulk (Brazilian Portuguese: [ˈʁuwki]), is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Atlético Mineiro.
After starting out professionally with Vitória and then playing three years in Japan, he played several seasons in Portugal with Porto, winning ten titles – including the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League and three national championships. He was crowned the league's top scorer once. In 2012, he joined Russian Premier League side Zenit 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.
Hulk made his international debut in 2009, and played for Brazil at the 2012 Summer Olympics as one of the three permitted over-age players. He went on to represent the Brazilian senior team in their 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup victory and fourth-place finish at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
He is described by FIFA'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 due to his likeness to actor Lou Ferrigno, who played the Incredible Hulk on the eponymous television series in the 1970s.[4]