A report from El Nacional claims Lionel Messi stood in the way of Inter Miami making a move for a Barcelona star.

Lionel Messi has reportedly intervened to prevent a current FC Barcelona star from potentially joining him at Inter Miami, according to sources cited by El Nacional.

Messi's Influence at Inter Miami

After leaving Paris Saint-Germain last summer, Messi opted for a move to MLS with Inter Miami, bypassing the opportunity to return to Barcelona due to their financial constraints.

Following his move, former Barcelona teammates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba also joined Messi at Inter Miami, with Luis Suarez joining them in December.

David Beckham, co-owner of the franchise, joked about the possibility of Neymar joining Inter Miami when welcoming him to Miami in March.

Block on Robert Lewandowski

According to reports from El Nacional, Messi has blocked Inter Miami's potential move for Robert Lewandowski, expressing his opposition to the transfer.

Messi's reluctance reportedly stems from a previous fallout with Lewandowski, which occurred due to a misunderstanding over The Best awards and Ballon d'Or. Messi admitted to going out of his way to humiliate Lewandowski at the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

Moreover, Messi is said to be protecting his friend Luis Suarez, whose position as Miami's starting number 9 would be threatened if Lewandowski were to join the club.