Brazil cult hero Hulk outdoes Lionel Messi with world-class thunderbolt aged 37

Lionel Messi was upstaged by Brazilian icon Hulk on Sunday despite scoring a brilliant free-kick for Inter Miami in their thrilling 4-4 draw with FC Dallas. The Argentine maestro broke the deadlock with a fine finish early on before curling a free-kick into the top corner to level proceedings with five minutes left on the clock. Messi’s latest moment of magic set Inter Miami on their way to a penalty shoot-out victory over Dallas to reach the quarter-finals of the Leagues Cup despite being two goals behind in the final 10 minutes of normal time. However, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner ended up being outdone by Hulk on the same night, with the 37-year-old scoring an even better free-kick for Atletico Mineiro.The former Zenit winger blasted home a powerful strike from close to the halfway line with his trademark thunderous left foot, which sent the ball flying into the top corner at a ferocious pace. The opposing goalkeeper was at full stretch but did not manage to get anywhere near it, with the sheer force behind Hulk’s attempt on goal making it almost unstoppable. There did not appear to be much on for Hulk as he stood over the ball, with many of his team-mates being marked tightly on the edge of the box and only two players stood in the wall. He only had one thing on his mind, though, and was never going to do anything other than shoot before lashing the ball home. Hulk upstaged Lionel Messi with a thunderous free-kick from around 40 yards out (Image: GALOTV) Hulk was hailed as a cult figure during his time in Europe as a result of his imposing physique, which did not align with the typically slender build of a traditional winger. He was also known for his thunderous left boot and is certainly still able to put it to good use, as shown by his latest goal for Atletico Mineiro on Sunday night. He has been on the books of the Brazilian heavyweights since 2021, when he joined them from Shanghai Port on a free transfer. Hulk previously spent five years in China after leaving Zenit in a big-money deal following spells at Porto and several Japanese clubs during the formative stages of his career. The 37-year-old was mobbed by his team-mates as he wheeled away in celebration (Image: GALOTV) The veteran winger has been a prolific operator for Atletico Mineiro during his time back in his native Brazil, scoring 65 goals across the last two campaigns, while he has already surpassed the 20-goal mark this season. His stunning strike on Sunday helped his team to secure a 2-0 win over Sao Paulo, with Christian Pavon’s second-half penalty wrapping up all three points on away turf. Atletico Mineiro are currently sitting firmly in mid-table after winning six, drawing six and losing six of their 18 games in Brazil’s top flight so far this season. It remains to be seen whether Hulk will be able to pop up with some more incredible goals to help his side climb up the standings before the campaign draws to a close in December. Want the latest Premier League news as we publish it on  Express Sport ? Join our Facebook group by clicking  here .