Lionel Messi is set to become a father again. The FC Barcelona football player has announced that he and his long-term girlfriend Antonella Roccuzzo are expecting their second child.
Lionel, who is already proud dad to his and Antonella's son Thiago, reached out to his fans with a photo on Instagram and Facebook.
The heart-warming snap showed the two-year-old wrapping his arms around his mum's tummy, and kissing her small baby bump.
Lionel Messi and girlfriend Antonella Roccuzzo are already parents to son Thiago
"Can't wait to welcome you into our world!!! We love you! Thiagui, mum and dad," Lionel captioned the beautiful black-and-white snap, while also signing the post with a kissing emoticon.
In November 2012 the Argentinean footballer became a father for the first time when Antonella, who is from the same hometown as her boyfriend, gave birth to their son. The baby boy arrived a few days late, but when he did, Lionel confirmed the news on Facebook, posting that he was the "happiest man in the world".
Before the birth, the forward also revealed that he and Antonella were having a boy and that he would be called Thiago.
The FC Barcelona football player has tattoos of his son's name and handprints on his calf
Lionel, 27, is clearly a devoted father. He has the handprints and name of his son tattooed on his calf, and often likes to post sweet images of Thiago on social media.
In one recent snap taken in February, Lionel shared a photo of the family-of-three pulling faces. Fans were quick to note that the couple's adorable boy bears a striking similarity to his famous dad.
This time around, Argentine newspaper Clarín has reportedly claimed that Lionel's second child is a boy, and that he will be called Benjamín – the same name his good friend and fellow Argentinean football star Sergio Aguero chose for his son six years ago.