Meet Floki: A 3-year-old dog dominating footvolley on Rio's beaches

Rio de Janeiro's beaches experience a lot of activity on sunny weekends, but recently, one section saw a unique spectacle. Onlookers were mesmerised as they witnessed a game called footvolley, a mix of soccer and beach volleyball. The surprising attraction was not a human but a 3-year-old border collie named Floki, reported AP.
Footvolley is similar to beach volleyball but with a lower net, and like soccer, players cannot use their hands. Floki uses his mouth to play, impressing both spectators and the internet community, with a large following on Instagram and TikTok.
Gustavo Rodrigues, Floki's owner and a footvolley coach, did not initially plan for Floki to become an athlete. Rodrigues had initially wanted a different dog breed but ended up with Floki, who showed his potential early on by jumping after balloons at just two months old.
Rodrigues introduced Floki to "altinha," a game where players juggle a soccer ball. In 2023, Floki moved to Footvolley, a favourite game of Brazilian soccer stars like Ronaldinho and Romario post-retirement.
"Floki does things that even some professionals don't - like positioning on the court," Rodrigues said. During games, Floki often turns to face the ball to hit it accurately.
Floki enjoys the game immensely and even when resting, stays focused on the court's action. During matches, he occasionally surprises everyone by scoring points himself.
Spectator Luiza Chioli, visiting from Sao Paulo, was in awe. "Seeing social media, we had thought it was just cuts, that they used the best takes," Chioli commented. "But, we saw he played, performed the whole time, did really well. It's really cool."
As Floki gained popularity, endorsement deals followed. Rodrigues and Floki travel frequently for promotions, especially to Rio. Recently, Floki played with former footvolley champion Natalia Guitler and later attended a marketing shoot.
Rodrigues and Floki live in Brasilia and focus more on playing competitive matches. They win about one out of every three games, often against opponents who do not want to lose to a dog. "It generates talk, and people make fun," Rodriguez said. "No one likes to lose a point to him, so people play their hearts out against us."