Lionel Messi and his wife are expecting their third child.

Antonella Roccuzzo announced the news on Sunday with an Instagram picture of herself and Barcelona star forward Messi with their children Mateo and Thiago.

All four have a hand on her T-shirt, over her belly.

The post is tagged, "Familia de 5 #blessed", with a red heart over the number.

Messi and his long-time partner married this summer.

The news they are expecting another child comes at the end of a memorable week for 30-year-old Messi, whose hat-trick fired Argentina to a 3-1 midweek win over Ecuador that clinched a place at next year's World Cup in Russia.

Messi left the big announcement to his wife on Sunday. On his own Instagram page he posted a picture of himself relaxing on a sofa, flanked by four-year-old Thiago and two-year-old Mateo.

He is Barcelona's all-time leading goalscorer and regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, holding a host of individual records and helping Barcelona sweep up a raft of trophies in Spanish and European football.

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