Lionel Messi opens up on painful decision he and wife Antonela made to leave behind their pet dog, Hulk, when they moved from Barcelona to Miami
- Lionel Messi told Argentinian comedian Migue Granados that the family left their dog Hulk behind when they moved from Barcelona to Miami
- The decision was based on the stress Hulk would experience in the cross-continental move due to his age
- Hulk is seven years old and Bordeaux Mastiff has a lifespan of five to eight years, but some live as long as eleven years
Lionel Messi’s move to MLS came with the costly pain of having to leave the family pet Bordeaux Mastiff behind at his home in Barcelona.
The decision to leave Hulk behind was partly down to the seven-year-old mutt’s health, Argentine comedian Migue Granados revealed this weekend after recording an interview with the 2023 World Cup champion at his Miami home.
Granados learned of the family’s decision after joking that he would put Abu, their poodle, in a backpack and demand a large ransom following last Thursday’s interview for his show on OLGA, a streaming network.
But he was surprised that Hulk was nowhere to be seen.
“I asked him where that bull was and he told me, ‘He’s in Barcelona, Hulk is there.’ He’s a bit old. So we had to leave him in the house we have there in Barcelona,” Granados said.
Lionel Messi plays with the family’s seven-year-old Bordeaux Mastiff, Hulk, who did not join them on their move from Barcelona to Miami this summer
Messi welcomed Hulk into his family in 2016
Messi, 36, welcomed Hulk into the family as a puppy in 2016 and shared a photo of him cuddling the dog on Instagram.
“New member of my family,” Messi wrote at the time. “Thank you, dear, for this beautiful gift.”
He and his wife Antonela Roccuzzo regularly shared photos and videos of the dog on social media, but have not done so since 2021, when Messi played for PSG and traveled back to Spain to recover from an injury.
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner took into account the amount of stress moving across the continent in July would cause for Hulk at this point in his life.
Messi told Granados that Hulk may be ‘on the verge’ of being put to sleep.
Messi rests at his home in Barcelona with the family dog, Hulk, a seven-year-old Bordeaux Mastiff
Messi’s pet Bordeaux Mastiff, Hulk, is seven years old. They have a lifespan of five to eight years, but in some cases there are individuals that can live up to eleven years
Messi plays with Hulk in the family house. For the time being, Hulk is being cared for by the staff of the luxury home in Castelldefels, a suburb 20 kilometers from Cam Nou
Bordeaux Mastiffs can grow to 27 inches tall and weigh 110 pounds. They have a lifespan of five to eight years, although some reach eleven.
For the time being, Hulk is being cared for by the staff of the luxury home in Castelldefels, a suburb 20 kilometers from Cam Nou. Messi, meanwhile, has become the face of MLS in the US as he plays for Inter Miami CF.
During the interview, Messi said that on school days the family wakes up at 7am for a group breakfast and drops off his three sons, Thiago, Mateo and Ciro.
He and his wife then return home for a nap or to catch up on their favorite shows. On other days he goes to a morning training at Inter Miami. At around 3pm they both pick up the children before taking Thiago and Mateo to football training at the club’s academy.
Messi also revealed the possibility of expanding the family.
“We would like that,” he said. ‘We are not involved in the search, but we would like it if the girl came.’
