In case you weren’t aware, Lionel Messi owns a dog called Hulk - and he’s absolutely massive.Hulk is a French Mastiff, a breed of dog know for its size and power.Messi received his beloved pet from his wife Antonella back in 2016, when the Dogue de Bordeaux was a cute little puppy.French Mastiffs were formally employed to transport heavy objects, according to the Daily Mail, due to their inherent strength.They are also deployed as guard dogs due to their imposing appearance.

However, they’re softies at heart, and Hulk - despite his size - has made for a brilliant family pet in the Messi household.

Hulk went viral last year when Messi was filmed by Antonella dribbling around his dog in the sun at their home in Barcelona.

Like most of the world’s best defenders, Hulk couldn’t get close to the man considered by many as the greatest footballer of all time.

But could he get close to Messi’s two eldest sons, Thiago and Mateo?

Hulk was piggy in the middle while Lionel, Thiago and Mateo all tried to keep possession of the ball in a very different type of Rondo.

He did a little better this time, although still couldn’t get close to his human dad.

In fact, there were times when Hulk looked like he didn’t fancy it against Messi. He knew he stood little chance of getting the ball.

Watch the video here…

It’s interesting that Thiago and Mateo are both right-footed, unlike their father.

Both lads look pretty decent for their age, though, which is no real surprise.

Thiago is only six years old, while little Mateo, who can be heard giggling on the video, is just three.

The two youngsters recently played football on a beach with an 11-year-old English boy called Mackenzie O’Neill, who bumped into the Messi family while on holiday in Antigua.

He described Thiago as “fantastic for his age” and said playing with Messi “was incredible”.