Totti reveals he recommended Castro to Gasperini at March dinner

FIFA President Gianni Infantino paid tribute to Francesco Totti on his 50th birthday with a social media post celebrating the Roma legend's unparalleled connection to the club and his place in global football. Infantino's message highlighted Totti's dual legacy: his entire career devoted to Roma and his role as a 2006 FIFA World Cup champion with Italy. The FIFA President described Totti's bond with Roma as transcending conventional hierarchy. "For Roma you are more than a king, a king who comes from the people," Infantino wrote. "For Italy you are one of the magnificent Champions of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Two stories, one heart." Infantino added that Totti's influence would endure beyond time and place, and compared his artistry to that of a master chef in football. "You have done the spoon: you were a wonderful chef of football. Like you, in history, very few flags in the world," Infantino concluded in his birthday message. "Happy birthday, dear Francesco Totti."

Francesco Totti turned 50 today, and FIFA president Gianni Infantino was among those offering congratulations on social media. Infantino posted several photographs of the Roma legend alongside a lengthy message celebrating his career and legacy. Infantino's tribute emphasized Totti's unwavering devotion to Roma and his place in Italian football history. The FIFA president described him as someone whose impact extends far beyond the pitch, highlighting his role as a symbol of the club and as a member of Italy's 2006 World Cup-winning squad. Infantino wrote: "Rome, the Azzurri, and then nothing else, and that is everything. Your all, an unconditional love, at times sweet, sometimes rebellious, always pure, unassailable. Indissoluble, enormous. For Rome you are more than a king – a king who comes from the people – for the Azzurri one of the magnificent Champions of the 2006 FIFA World Cup: two stories, one heart, the concept of always applied to sport, because you will be talked about beyond the end of horizons, of time. You did the chip, you were a wonderful chef of football. Like you, in history, very few flags in the world. Happy birthday, dear Francesco Totti."

Francesco Totti marked his 50th birthday on 27 September reflecting on a career spent entirely at AS Roma. The former captain, born on 27 September 1976 and wearing the same giallorossi shirt for 25 of those 50 years, granted a lengthy interview to Corriere dello Sport director Ivan Zazzaroni to discuss the most intimate moments of his time at the club and his relationship with the city. Totti revisited his final day as a player, seated on the steps of the Olimpico stadium. "I was afraid, I said so," he recalled. "In the end when you turn the page you never know what you might find. In that moment I thought back to all 25 years spent with Roma, with the same shirt, with the people." On a potential return to the club in an executive role, he stated: "It's not a sore point. I've always said that marriages are always made by two people." He explained his departure from a club position: "Being in the society and doing nothing, mentally the way I am, made me feel useless. One extra person." Totti addressed the number 10 shirt and Paulo Dybala's claim to it. "I think you don't give out a 10 when you've had 5 or 6 good matches. You have to organise around an important player who stays at Roma for a long time, not just passing through." He spoke of reconciliation with Luciano Spalletti, saying: "I made mistakes too. As you grow you understand your errors." Most significantly on his birthday, he said: "Roma gave me the chance to realise my dream. To wear one shirt only, the number 10, and to be captain. I owe everything to the city of Rome—I've always felt protected and I still do. We did something different, something exceptional."

Lorenzo Pellegrini is ready to feature for Roma at Como after six months away from competitive football, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini considering deploying him as a lone attacking midfielder behind two front strikers. Facing Como's organised four-man defence under Cesc Fàbregas, Gasperini has identified a specific tactical solution: positioning Pellegrini in the space between Como's midfield and back line, where the Roma captain can operate as a difficult-to-mark presence. Two opposing centre-backs cannot push forward aggressively without ceding depth to Roma's two forwards, while Como's midfielders risk being caught between lines and forced to cover ground without the ball. The role demands more than creative finishing or the final pass to forwards — whether the pairing of Donyell Malen and Paulo Dybala or the option of Santiago Castro from the start. Pellegrini must provide the aggression and positional awareness essential in the defensive phase. As a central attacking midfielder, the Roma captain becomes the first player tasked with pressing Como's initial build-up, screening the opposition playmaker and disrupting their play from the back. A 3-4-1-2 formation would offer Pellegrini a dual responsibility: playmaker when Roma regains possession, and first line of defence when closing space is needed. The shape appears tailored specifically for the trip to the Stadio Sinigaglia.

Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina want to attend a farewell match for Lionel Messi with Argentina on 6 October, but the timing poses a logistical and sporting problem for Roma. The event is scheduled for 22:00 in Argentina, and factoring in travel, time zones and recovery, both players would not be available until 8 October. Roma face Como three days later on 11 October at 12:30 in a crucial fixture for the top of the league that also opens a demanding run of consecutive Serie A and Champions League matches. The question of whether the pair should travel has become one of the most delicate issues during Roma's current international break. Reports differ on where the resistance lies. According to Il Messaggero, head coach Gian Piero Gasperini gave approval for Dybala and Molina to depart, recognising the special significance of the occasion for two players who won the 2022 World Cup with Messi. However, Corriere dello Sport reports that the Friedkin family themselves have applied the brakes, judging the cost in fatigue, travel and recovery too high ahead of such an important match. No final decision has been made. The situation remains open, though the lean of opinion is currently towards preventing the trip. A definitive resolution is expected on Tuesday when training resumes at Trigoria, when the club, Gasperini and the players must weigh sporting demands against personal wishes and reach a shared conclusion. Meanwhile, other Argentina internationals will attend the Messi event regardless. Santiago Castro, Matías Soulé and Leonardo Balerdi are all on regular national team duty and will participate in the farewell ceremony, meaning they will be among the last national team players to return to Rome ahead of the Como fixture.

Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina face uncertainty over attending Lionel Messi's final Argentina match, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini having approved the trip but the club moving toward blocking it. The two Argentine players, not called up for Argentina's opening international break friendlies, were invited to the farewell friendly against Benin on 6 October at the Monumental in Buenos Aires. Both would not return to Italy until 8 October, leaving only three days before Roma's away fixture against Como on 11 October—the start of a gruelling run of nine matches in 27 days. The decision will be made on Tuesday when training resumes at Trigoria. Santiago Castro, Matías Soulé and Leonardo Balerdi will definitely return, as all three have been called up and are the last to arrive back in Italy.