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Roma hold Dybala and Molina back from Messi's Argentina farewell
·23 September 2026·45d ago

Roma hold Dybala and Molina back from Messi's Argentina farewell

Source: Roma News

AS Roma have decided against releasing Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina for Lionel Messi's farewell Argentina match on 6 October, despite the striker and defender being among the 2022 World Cup winners Messi has requested for the special fixture against Benin. Three Roma players—Leonardo Balerdi, Matías Soulé and Santiago Castro—are already officially called up by Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni and will attend the event.

Roma's caution stems from the timing and physical toll of the trip. The club faces a demanding fixture schedule immediately after Messi's game, beginning with a crucial away match at Como on 11 October that opens a stretch of nine fixtures in 27 days—a critical block of the season in which coach Gian Piero Gasperini intends to rely on Dybala at full fitness. The striker has made an impressive start to the campaign. The participation would require both Dybala and Molina to undertake two long transatlantic flights around the Serie A matchday, bringing inevitable consequences from jet lag, recovery times and tactical preparation.

Although evaluations are officially ongoing, Roma's position is clear: players not included in Scaloni's official squad list will remain at the club's Trigoria training base to prepare for the resumption of Serie A.

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Story Coverage2 sources on this story

Roma manager Gian Piero Gasperini has blocked Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina from travelling to Argentina to attend Lionel Messi's farewell international match on 6 October at the Monumental stadium. Both players have been invited by the Argentine Football Federation as members of the 2022 World Cup-winning squad, and both are keen to attend what commentators describe as a historic, once-in-a-lifetime occasion. However, with Roma's Serie A fixture at Como scheduled for 11 October—just 72 hours after the players would return—Gasperini has decided the intercontinental journey poses an unacceptable risk to squad recovery and preparation. The coach has cancelled training on 25 September to give the squad extra rest ahead of the match.

Roman radio stations have debated the decision intensely, with most commentators backing Gasperini's stance on club duty. Stefano Agresti said respect for the club that pays their contracts "imposes a different decision," though he acknowledged the emotional pull for players who competed alongside Messi. Roberto Pruzzo took a middle ground, calling it "a unique opportunity" but accepting that avoiding the trip is "more probable." Nando Orsi dissented, calling the decision "exaggerated" given the unrepeatable nature of the event. David Rossi argued the players should not have requested permission so close to a crucial fixture, while Francesca Ferrazza stated she would not even permit a holiday to Capri in this context. Como is described as the second-most difficult fixture in the league after Inter–Roma. The final decision remains officially unresolved, though Lorenzo Pes indicated clarity would emerge next week. Separately, Piero Torri critiqued Roma's transfer strategy, suggesting the club erred by not including a buy-back clause on a player (identified in coverage as Romano).

AI synthesis of all sources below — always check the originals.

Testo Originale / Source Text

“Il prossimo 6 ottobre rappresenterà uno spartiacque per il calcio mondiale: Lionel Messi disputerà la sua ultima partita con la maglia dell’Argentina nello speciale impegno contro il Benin. All’evento prenderanno parte tre calciatori della Roma regolarmente convocati dal CT Lionel Scaloni (Balerdi,…”

Read the full article in Italian at Roma News.

Read original on Roma News →

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