Most footballers at 40 are long retired, perhaps coaching youth teams or padding out a punditry career. Hulk is still doing what he's always done: thundering into the box, rattling nets, and earning top marks from the data analysts.
His goal in Fluminense's 3-3 draw with Athletico on Tuesday epitomised the kind of performance that has become almost routine for a player who should, by conventional logic, be winding down. An 8.2 match rating suggests he was not merely present but influential, a genuine threat in a game that swung wildly between the sides.
Built to last
The numbers tell only part of the story. Hulk's physicality, once his calling card in Europe and Asia, remains intact in the Brasileirão. Where other veterans drift to deeper roles or rely on guile alone, he continues to occupy dangerous areas and convert chances. Tuesday's strike was his latest reminder that age is a suggestion, not a mandate.
Fluminense will have been frustrated to drop two points after leading on multiple occasions, but Hulk's contribution ensured they stayed competitive throughout. The draw keeps them in the mix domestically, and as long as their ageless forward keeps delivering, they have a weapon few can neutralise.
Forty is no longer the end. For Hulk, it's just another chapter.