Hulk makes Libertadores his big dream, eyes first Fluminense title

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·24 September 2026

Hulk makes Libertadores his big dream, eyes first Fluminense title

Forward Hulk has, wearing the Fluminense shirt, an opportunity ahead of him that could further define his career: winning the Copa Libertadores. In an interview with Rádio Itatiaia, the No. 7 spoke about his desire to lift the continental trophy for the first time and stressed the importance of staying focused against Palmeiras in the semifinal.

The Tricolor side will face the São Paulo team over two matches for a place in the final. The first leg will be played on October 14 at the Maracanã, while the decisive clash is scheduled for October 21 at Nubank Parque in São Paulo.

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Hulk has already come close to the title. With Atlético-MG, he finished as runner-up in the Libertadores, and now he will have a new chance to go after the trophy with Fluminense. At 40 years old, the forward sees the achievement as one of the major goals he still intends to accomplish in football.

You know how much I dream of winning a Libertadores. I always accept God’s will and place it above my own. I get sad, but not in a way I can’t understand. I’m anxious, I go crazy wanting it to come soon. But lately I’ve been seeing things differently, being more patient and enjoying it more. Sometimes people rush certain decisions because we want things to happen immediately. If you reflect better and take things more lightly, things happen. My dream is to win the Libertadores. If it is God’s will, it will happen.

The forward also highlighted the level of the opponent standing in Fluminense’s way. Palmeiras reach the semifinal as one of the continent’s top clubs in recent years and will have the advantage of deciding the tie at home.

Approach it calmly. We have a great opponent ahead in Palmeiras, and we have to stay focused because it’s a 180-minute match and any mistake can be fatal. We can’t make mistakes tactically or technically, and if that doesn’t happen, we can go through. The first objective is to get past Palmeiras so that, God willing, we can dream of the title.

Hulk earns more space and adapts to Fluminense

Since arriving at Fluminense, Hulk has had to deal with the expectations surrounding his signing and with adapting to a new club after a long career in Brazilian football. According to the forward himself, that initial period is now behind him, and today he feels integrated into the squad.

Wearing the No. 7 shirt, he has made 15 appearances for the Tricolor, with seven goals and four assists. Spending time with familiar names also helped in the process, especially with the presence of Thiago Silva and Fábio, former teammates from his career.

Hulk also highlighted his relationship with Marcão. The forward described the coach as a calm person and emphasized the knowledge the manager has of Fluminense and the club environment.

The semifinal against Palmeiras, however, will be the Tricolor’s main commitment in the coming weeks. For Hulk, qualification represents precisely the first step in trying to turn the dream into reality. The forward is still chasing the biggest title missing from his career: the Libertadores.

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