Most powerful free-kick ever? Hulk's thunderbolt for Atletico Mineiro v Santos | OneFootball

Givanildo Vieira de Sousa is the definition of a footballing cult hero.

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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.

When the 36-year-old takes aim from distance, goalkeepers and defenders know to be very, very afraid.

Now, we could sit here and wax lyrical about Hulk's missiles which have resulted in goals, but instead we're going to relive an effort that actually struck the post.

Don't worry, the fact the ball came into contact with the woodwork doesn't hamper the absolute absurdity of it all.

Last summer, 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 versus 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 kickstart a counterattack for Santos.

Check out the footage...

The phrase 'blink and you'll miss it' has never been more applicable to a moment in a football match.

Is Hulk still playing for Atletico Mineiro?

Hulk returned to Brazil in January of 2021 after a goal-filled stint in the Chinese Super League with Shanghai SIPG.

The forward is still with Atletico Mineiro and he's enjoyed a fair amount of success at the club.

Hulk played a pivotal role in the club's treble-winning 2021 season, finishing as the country's top scorer in the process.

At the time of writing, Hulk has scored 85 times in 148 matches in Atletico Mineiro colours, which is a mighty impressive record.