BARCELONA star Lionel Messi has welcomed a new member to his family: a rare apricot toy poodle that is the polar opposite of his previous canine.
Wife Antonela Roccuzzo posted a photo of Abu on social media, sitting on the lap of her five-year-old son Mateo, while her player husband celebrated Argentina’s 2-1 Copa America victory against Bolivia on the other side of the Atlantic.
2Lionel Messi has a new family member in a rare apricot toy poodle named AbuCredit: Instagram / @antonelarocuzzo
2Messi’s new dog is on the opposite end of the size scale to his French mastiff HulkCredit: Instagram / @leomessi
It was unclear whether Messi had already met the new family pet or would meet it for the first time when he returned home.
But whatever size Abu grows to, he’ll never be as huge as the footballer’s French mastiff, Hulk, who was initially a lovely puppy before becoming almost as big as his children.
Antonela gave the 33-year-old their first dog in 2016, and it showed off its size and power two years later when Messi was recorded tormenting him with his dribbling skills in a viral video.
And it was the gorgeous brunette who revealed their newest acquisition with the photo of Abu and Mateo.
A caption next to it said, “This is Abu, the new member of the family.”
Toy poodles stand no more than 10 inches tall and weigh four to six pounds.
They cease growing around the age of six or seven months.
They are considered high-maintenance canines that must be groomed on a regular basis to keep their coat in good condition.
Hulk, one of the oldest French canine breeds, also known as a Dogue de Bordeaux, stands roughly 25 inches tall and weighs little over 100 pounds, or seven stone.
Abu is said to have cost Messi and his wife approximately £800.
The apricot color is extremely unusual and is thought to be the final poodle color ever reported.