Tijjani Reijnders, an AC Milan midfielder has revealed the reason behind naming his dog after Argentina football legend, Lionel Messi.
The 26-year-old Dutchman, who signed with AC Milan from AZ Alkmaar in 2023 for a whopping €20 million, confessed that Messi has always been his idol.
Reijnders revealed that he chose to call his dog Messi because he admires the renowned footballer.
“My dog’s name is Messi. When I was young, I always said if I got a dog I would name him Messi because for me he is the best player in the world,” Reijnders said in an interview with All About Argentina.
“Then, we decided we would get a dog, and the first thing I said to my wife is if we got a dog, we would name him Messi.” he said
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Messi, who now plays for Inter Miami in the United States following a successful career at Barcelona, is widely recognised as one of the best footballers of all time.
Reijnders’ dog is a Pomsky, a crossbreed of a Pomeranian and a Husky, as he previously stated in an interview with Sempremilan.
The midfielder’s profound passion for Messi has now spread to his canine buddy, with the dog’s name a tribute to the football icon.