Messi the Dog, the Anatomy of a Fall star and awards season darling, did make an appearance at the 2024 Oscars on Sunday.

The dog’s surprise appearance during the 2024 Oscars took place within the first few minutes of the telecast, as host Jimmy Kimmel kicked off his opening monologue.

Kimmel praised the “great” films that were made in 2023, despite the dual actors and writers strikes that shut down Hollywood.

 

While poking fun at the best picture nominees including Barbie, Oppenheimer, Maestro and more, Kimmel stopped at Robert Downey Jr. and joked about how he played a villain in The Shaggy Dog, which starred Tim Allen.

He noted if they were to remake the film, Messi should take over Allen’s role before cutting to the dog sitting in a chair in the audience.

Messi started making headlines stateside after attending the Oscar luncheon in February, during which he bonded with Ryan Gosling, who fawned over the pup, and Billie Eilish, who spent 10 minutes with the dog.

“The big moment was with Billie Eilish,” Messi’s trainer and dog mom Laura Martin previously said. “They were hugging and petting and they really had a vibe. Then Bradley Cooper bumped into him in the hallway. The dog went right to him, so they also had a connection.”