Hulk hails Palmeiras comeback: “It lifts us for Tuesday”

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·15 August 2026

Hulk hails Palmeiras comeback: “It lifts us for Tuesday”

Scorer of the first goal in the 3-2 win over Palmeiras, the forward highlights the impact of the home victory and praises the squad’s unity amid a time of heavy pressure

After going through a spell of pressure and a goal drought since football returned after the World Cup, forward Hulk was decisive again in Fluminense’s 3-2 win over Palmeiras at the Maracanã. In the mixed zone, the No. 7 celebrated finding the net again, but made a point of immediately turning his focus to Fluminense’s next commitment: the Libertadores Cup decider in Argentina.

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For the forward, beating the league leaders in front of the Fluminense fans was the boost the team needed to head into next Tuesday’s (18th) second leg of the Round of 16 against Independiente Rivadavia stronger.

— Today’s result will give us even more motivation for the big decider we have on Tuesday. The importance of winning here at the Maracanã gives us a lot of strength for what lies ahead. We knew how important this match was and how important it was to win again in front of our fans before traveling — said the No. 7.

Target of impatience from the stands in recent matches, Hulk opened up about his individual moment and revealed that the search for a goal had been weighing on him. The forward stressed that perseverance was key to overcoming mistakes and helping the team at a decisive moment.

— Obviously, more important than the goal are the three points. Since we returned after the World Cup, we still hadn’t won, and that was weighing heavily on us. When the collective results don’t come, individual performances hardly stand out. I put a lot of pressure on myself, trying to score goals, bring joy to the fans, and help my teammates. The ball just didn’t want to go in, I was missing simple chances, but I’m a very persistent guy. I always work through the hard times because I believe better days will come — he said.

With nearly 23 years as a professional, Hulk again praised the working environment at Fluminense. The forward revealed that, even during the winless run in the Brasileirão, the group stayed united and aware that recovery would come through daily work.

— At no moment did anyone point the finger at anyone else. On the contrary, we feel each other’s pain, and confidence never left our group. We knew we were on the right path, working hard, and that the results would come. Winning the way we did, with players coming off the bench and changing the match, shows Fluminense’s team spirit — he concluded.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.