INTER MIAMI have copied Barcelona’s strict ‘Lionel Messi rule’ which all players must follow in training.

The GOAT joined the MLS side this summer following his departure from Paris Saint-Germain.

Since Messi’s arrival in July, he has lit up the MLS with Inter Miami – scoring 11 goals in 14 games.

The 36-year-old has been the prize possession for the club. and led them to their first bit of silverware – the Leagues Cup trophy.

But the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner was not able to secure his team an MLS Cup play-off spot as they finished the term in 14th place in the Eastern Conference.

Teammate 19-year-old Edison Azcona has reflected on his time playing with Messi this season.

And the midfielder confessed to following a rule that Inter Miami players must abide by to ensure they protect their superstar.

He explained how the team make sure they avoid injuring Messi during the training sessions.

Azcona told Infobae: “Everyone understands that we are not going to try to hurt Messi.

“One tries to defend, but they are a little more careful.

“We don’t let him play in the games we play among ourselves, we defend him, but with caution. Nobody gets into it very hard.”

The MLS club are not the first team to follow this rule – Barcelona too had to protect their star man back in the day.

The Argentine scored a record-breaking 672 goals in 778 games for the Catalan giants cementing his place among the greatest footballers of all time.

Nice’s Jean-Clair Todibo played five times for Barcelona and revealed he was one of the players who followed the ‘Lionel Messi rule’ in training.

Todibo told German outlet Bild: “We all knew that he couldn’t get injured.

“Messi was defended very carefully in training.

“I learned a lot from Messi and I even tackled him a few times, but I was careful not to hurt him.”