International Dog Day 2020 ft Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Neymar and Alexis Sanchez

Although it's widely believed that there's no loyalty in the modern game, people fail to take into account the relationships shared between some of the world's greatest footballers and their pet dogs. From Lionel Messi to Alexis Sanchez, a number of high-profile footballers share strong relationships with their dogs, who, more often than not, become part of a player's family. On August 24, the world celebrates International dog day 2020 and a number of famous footballers have embraced man's best friend just like most other dog lovers. Here's a look at some of the top footballers with dogs as pets.

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Lionel Messi's French mastiff

Six-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi has a giant brown French mastiff named Senor Hulk guarding his mansion and family in the suburbs of Barcelona. The dogs are known for their calm temperament and Lionel Messi usually takes to Instagram to post pictures of his dog playing with his kids. French mastiffs are also known to be good guard dogs but Messi sometimes uses Senor Hulk to practise his football skills in his back yard. 

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Neymar's three golden retrievers

PSG superstar Neymar has three golden retrievers, naming all three of his dogs after card games. Neymar's three dogs are named Poker, Truco and Flush. When the Ligue 1 was called off due to the coronavirus pandemic, Neymar flew home to Brazil to spend some quality time with his dogs, also playing some football with them in his garden.

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Alexis Sanchez's two golden retrievers

Inter Milan superstar Alexis Sanchez is often seen spending time outdoors with his two golden retrievers - Atom and Humber. The Chilean also starred alongside his two dogs in an advert for pet food a few years ago. The advert saw the three of them playing football in Sanchez's backyard before ending the day curled up in bed wearing sunglasses. Sanchez posts a number of pictures with his dogs on Instagram. 

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Sergio Aguero's Dachshund 

Man City star Sergio Aguero is another dog lover and is usually spotted playing football with his Dachshund in his backyard. During the coronavirus break, Aguero was practising his football skills with his sausage dog. Sometimes, Aguero's goal celebrations while playing FIFA are a bit too loud for his adorable pet.

Image Credits - Neymar, Leo Messi, Alexis Sanchez Instagram