Messi invites Dybala and Molina to farewell match; Gasperini set to grant permission

Abel Balbo, the former Roma striker, has praised the club's attacking prowess in an interview with Il Messaggero, backing them to challenge for the Serie A title this season. Balbo said Roma are "beautiful to watch, entertaining and getting results" and predicted "an extraordinary campaign", though he acknowledged Inter remain the stronger squad overall. "Roma is the only one that can compete for the title," he said. Balbo reserved special praise for Dybala and Malen's partnership. On Malen specifically, he said: "He is a simple and effective player and the most difficult thing in football is to play with simplicity and he does it better than anyone. He's quick, he knows how to move, he attacks spaces, he sees goal easily. He is outstanding. He scores goals the way great strikers do." Balbo highlighted Malen's versatility: "He scores in every way. With great play or as he did against Torino by shooting from the ground. The striker is like that — he doesn't care how he puts the ball in the net as long as he scores and reaches the objective." When asked if Malen could surpass the 36-goal record held by Higuain and Immobile, Balbo said: "It's difficult to maintain that goal average but if others have managed it why can't he? I wish it for him because if he does it means Roma would get close to or even actually win the title." On Dybala, Balbo added: "Paulo is a champion and he always improves. This year he is doing extraordinary work, with him on the pitch the team flows better. He is magic and fantasy." Balbo also noted the importance of Roma's Argentine contingent, saying they bring "character and quality" and a "winning mentality that they transmit to the group."

Francesco Totti has revealed in his latest autobiography, *Oltre*, that Roma made an indirect approach asking him to present the iconic number 10 shirt to Paulo Dybala during the forward's official unveiling. Totti declined the request and refused to be drawn into the decision-making process. When Dybala arrived at Roma from Juventus, where he had worn the number 10 before departing in tears, the club sent Totti a message through indirect channels proposing the transfer of the legendary shirt. Totti rejected the suggestion outright. "You are all mad," he told them in his account. He made clear his position was not personal animosity towards the player: "Nothing against the player—in fact, I like him very much, also as a person. He is a very good lad. If you have this intention, go ahead, without putting me in the middle." Dybala ultimately chose the number 21 instead, a decision Totti attributed partly to respect for his predecessor. Totti explained his refusal to hand over the shirt by emphasizing the weight and responsibility attached to Roma's number 10. "I didn't want responsibility for someone else's choice, a decision I had absolutely nothing to do with, to fall on me," he wrote. "The number 10 of Roma carries weight, and it would bring inevitable comparisons with me. Dybala, if he is well, can make a difference." He stressed that the choice rightfully belongs to the club rather than to him personally. Totti articulated a broader philosophy on who should wear the shirt. He said he would never retire it outright, as that would deny "a wonderful dream to children" who might one day embody the same commitment. However, he expressed a clear view on criteria: "It is a symbol too important and significant to be entrusted only to someone who, at Roma, can potentially play for fifteen or twenty years." He contrasted that with players arriving from elsewhere who stay only temporarily before departing.

Rodrigo Mora is settling into Roma after arriving from Porto this summer with high expectations and a significant financial investment. The Portuguese midfielder has had to earn every minute of playing time while adapting to Gian Piero Gasperini's tactical demands at Trigoria. So far this season he has made 5 appearances across Serie A and the Champions League for a total of 187 minutes — the equivalent of roughly two full matches. In Gasperini's 3-4-2-1 formation, Mora has been rotating primarily with Matías Soulé to complete the attacking trio alongside Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen in an offensive department rich with talent and competition. Gasperini expects Mora to deliver concrete contributions in goals and decisive plays, elements essential to increase the attacking threat and prevent the entire goalscoring burden falling on Malen alone. The opportunity to significantly raise his playing time comes immediately after the international break. From Como to Sassuolo, Roma face an intensive tour de force of 9 matches over 27 days — including 3 Champions League fixtures — in which squad rotation will be intense and all squad members will have the space to prove their worth.

Abel Balbo, the former Roma striker, has praised the club's attacking prowess in an interview with Il Messaggero, backing them to challenge for the Serie A title this season. Balbo said Roma are "beautiful to watch, entertaining and getting results" and predicted "an extraordinary campaign", though he acknowledged Inter remain the stronger squad overall. "Roma is the only one that can compete for the title," he said. Balbo reserved special praise for Dybala and Malen's partnership. On Malen specifically, he said: "He is a simple and effective player and the most difficult thing in football is to play with simplicity and he does it better than anyone. He's quick, he knows how to move, he attacks spaces, he sees goal easily. He is outstanding. He scores goals the way great strikers do." Balbo highlighted Malen's versatility: "He scores in every way. With great play or as he did against Torino by shooting from the ground. The striker is like that — he doesn't care how he puts the ball in the net as long as he scores and reaches the objective." When asked if Malen could surpass the 36-goal record held by Higuain and Immobile, Balbo said: "It's difficult to maintain that goal average but if others have managed it why can't he? I wish it for him because if he does it means Roma would get close to or even actually win the title." On Dybala, Balbo added: "Paulo is a champion and he always improves. This year he is doing extraordinary work, with him on the pitch the team flows better. He is magic and fantasy." Balbo also noted the importance of Roma's Argentine contingent, saying they bring "character and quality" and a "winning mentality that they transmit to the group."

Francesco Totti has disclosed in his autobiography *Oltre* that AS Roma attempted to persuade him to present Paulo Dybala with the number 10 shirt during the Argentine's official unveiling. In the summer when Dybala arrived at the club, Roma conveyed the request indirectly to Totti, but he rejected it firmly. "The response was blunt: 'Are you all mad?'" Totti explained. "If you have the courage, give it to him yourselves. Nothing against the player—I like him very much, as a person too. He's a fine lad. If you have this intention, go ahead, without dragging me into it." Rather than expose himself to comparisons with Totti's legacy, Dybala chose the number 21 instead. Totti reiterated his respect for the player, saying "Dybala, for me, if he is fit, can make the difference." He also outlined his philosophy on the number 10, Roma's most iconic shirt. "The number 10 jersey of Roma, I would never retire it permanently—that would be like denying a wonderful dream to children. Every day I hope another Totti appears. One born in Rome, raised in Rome, who chooses Roma for life." He drew a distinction between such a candidate and a player arriving from elsewhere: "It would be a different matter to assign that shirt to someone coming from the other side of the world, who stays for a limited period and then leaves. It is a symbol that should be entrusted only to someone who, at least potentially, can play for Roma for fifteen or twenty years."

Francesco Totti has revealed in his latest autobiography, *Oltre*, that Roma made an indirect approach asking him to present the iconic number 10 shirt to Paulo Dybala during the forward's official unveiling. Totti declined the request and refused to be drawn into the decision-making process. When Dybala arrived at Roma from Juventus, where he had worn the number 10 before departing in tears, the club sent Totti a message through indirect channels proposing the transfer of the legendary shirt. Totti rejected the suggestion outright. "You are all mad," he told them in his account. He made clear his position was not personal animosity towards the player: "Nothing against the player—in fact, I like him very much, also as a person. He is a very good lad. If you have this intention, go ahead, without putting me in the middle." Dybala ultimately chose the number 21 instead, a decision Totti attributed partly to respect for his predecessor. Totti explained his refusal to hand over the shirt by emphasizing the weight and responsibility attached to Roma's number 10. "I didn't want responsibility for someone else's choice, a decision I had absolutely nothing to do with, to fall on me," he wrote. "The number 10 of Roma carries weight, and it would bring inevitable comparisons with me. Dybala, if he is well, can make a difference." He stressed that the choice rightfully belongs to the club rather than to him personally. Totti articulated a broader philosophy on who should wear the shirt. He said he would never retire it outright, as that would deny "a wonderful dream to children" who might one day embody the same commitment. However, he expressed a clear view on criteria: "It is a symbol too important and significant to be entrusted only to someone who, at Roma, can potentially play for fifteen or twenty years." He contrasted that with players arriving from elsewhere who stay only temporarily before departing.

Roma head into a demanding stretch of fixtures with Gasperini now ready to rely heavily on the summer recruits who have gradually been introduced to the squad. The club closed the first part of the campaign level on points with Inter and Lazio at the top of the table, but a punishing run awaits: between Serie A and Champions League, there will be no respite until November. With only one week in four featuring a European fixture so far, Gasperini has largely favoured the established players while carefully integrating the new arrivals, deploying them either from the start or off the bench. Several summer signings have already made an impact. Balerdi has made a strong early impression, while Molina began well despite arriving physically behind schedule after playing in the World Cup final. He provided his first assist against Inter and showed promising effectiveness when fielded on the left at Turin. Rodrigo Mora presents a mixed picture: the Portuguese midfielder impressed in two starting performances against Fiorentina and Atalanta but struggled when introduced as a substitute, failing to read the rhythm of matches. Paradoxically, he scored when coming off the bench at Lecce. Gasperini intends to gradually unlock the full potential of the talent he strongly pursued. Konstantinos Koulierakis and Marten de Roon will also prove invaluable—the latter was Gasperini's move to shore up the midfield. Lorenzo Pellegrini completes the picture as the squad faces its most testing period of the season.

Lionel Messi has invited Paulo Dybala to a farewell match as Messi retires from international football with Argentina. Messi's message to Dybala reportedly recalled their shared World Cup victory and asked if Dybala would attend the goodbye fixture. Dybala, Roma's number 21, wants to go but cannot commit until head coach Gian Piero Gasperini approves his participation. The same applies to Nahuel Molina, another Roma player targeted for the occasion. Dybala has been linked with a return to Argentina and Boca Juniors this summer, reuniting with his former teammate Leandro Paredes. However, the prospect of missing a meeting with Messi appears to have shifted his thinking. The expectation is that Gasperini will ultimately grant permission for both players to take part, though with a caveat: no excessive strain on their fitness or availability. When Serie A resumes, Roma travel to Como to face Nico Paz, an Argentine left-footer who has been mentioned as a potential successor to Dybala in Serie A.

Lionel Messi has invited Paulo Dybala to participate in a match marking his farewell to the Argentina national team. According to La Repubblica, Dybala is keen to attend given the symbolic weight of the occasion, his bond with Messi, and their shared World Cup triumph. However, the move requires approval from Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. Gasperini has granted the squad four days' rest starting tomorrow, but that does not automatically permit an intercontinental trip. The same situation applies to Nahuel Molina, though Dybala's case carries greater significance. The forward has enjoyed an unusually intense start to the season at Roma, playing with a consistency the club has rarely seen from him, and crucially maintaining freedom from the physical problems that have often hampered his performances. The summer preparation, training work, and management by Gasperini's staff have made Dybala practically always available, rendering him one of the coach's most-used players in this early stretch of the campaign. Given that form, Roma will approach any decision with caution. La Repubblica reports, however, that the sense is Gasperini may ultimately grant permission, with a precise recommendation: avoid any overexertion and carefully manage energy and physical condition. For Dybala, it would be an emotionally significant occasion—a final match alongside Messi in Argentina colours, honouring their World Cup success together, before returning to Roma and rejoining the giallorossi's push.