Messi and wife Antonela had to leave dog, Hulk, in Barcelona

Lionel Messi has revealed the painful decision of having to leave the family dog, Hulk, behind in Barcelona.

The family headed stateside without their precious mutt when Messi signed for Inter Miami after leaving Paris Saint-Germain in July.

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Hulk, who is a Bordeaux Mastiff, became a new addition to the Messi household in 2016.

When introducing his arrival at the time, Messi wrote on Instagram: “New member of my family. Thanks, love, for this beautiful gift.”

Hulk was regularly seen in pictures and videos on Messi’s Instagram, but nothing has been shared since 2021.

The decision to leave their dog behind was due to his health, given he is seven years old.

Bordeaux Mastiff’s usually live between five and eight years, with Messi and wife Antonela Roccuzzo opting against the cross-continent move due to the stress.

Instead, Hulk is being taken care of by staff at the family home located in Castelldefels, 12 miles away from the Camp Nou.

Argentinian comedian Migue Granados conducted an interview with the World Cup winner at Messi’s home in Miami, and learned the news Hulk had remained in Catalonia.

“I asked him [Messi] where that bull was and he told me, ‘He’s in Barcelona, Hulk is there. He is a little old. So, we had to leave him in the house we have there in Barcelona,” Granados explained on OLGA.

The family would visit their pampered pooch when Messi was plying his trade in Paris for PSG.

Although, given the seven-time Ballon d’Or is now 4,600 miles away in the USA, regular visits have since been hard to come by.

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