Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina will not be present at Lionel Messi’s farewell with the Argentina national team. Roma decided not to authorise the trip of its two footballers to Buenos Aires for the tribute being prepared for October 6 at the Monumental, meaning the pair will have to watch the occasion from Italy.
The situation carries a particular feature: neither player was due to travel in order to play in Argentina’s friendly against Benin. Both had instead been invited by the AFA as members of the squad that won the World Cup in Qatar 2022, as part of a celebration designed to bring together Messi’s former international teammates and their families. Because they were not part of the official squad call-up for the match, their presence in Buenos Aires depended on permission from Roma — and the Italian club chose not to grant it, explaining its position publicly.
“AS Roma announces that Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina will not participate in the event organized in Argentina for the match between Argentina and Benin on October 6,” the club stated. Roma attributed the decision to “sporting and logistical reasons”, focusing on the length of the intercontinental journey and the proximity of its upcoming competitive commitments.
The schedule helps explain the Italian club’s stance. Roma travel to face Como in Serie A on October 11, just five days after the tribute in Buenos Aires, and then host Real Madrid in the Champions League on October 14. Gian Piero Gasperini’s side therefore face two significant fixtures in the days immediately following the event.
Roma also made clear that its refusal does not amount to any slight on the occasion itself. In the same statement, the club expressed its “greatest respect for Lionel Messi and for his extraordinary career” and wished him a special night together with the Argentine Football Association.
Dybala and Molina will follow the farewell of the man who was their teammate and captain during the conquest of the Qatar World Cup from a distance. On October 6, Argentina host Benin at the Monumental in a match that will mark Messi’s final appearance wearing the national team’s jersey.