Roma’s return from the international break may carry an unusual dilemma: whether Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina should cross the Atlantic for Lionel Messi’s Argentina farewell, even if their roles at the Monumental would be limited to the stands.
The coach and the club
Argentina have invited Dybala and Molina to the occasion against Benin on 6 October, a night expected to bring together every member of the country’s 2022 World Cup-winning squad. Messi’s final appearance for the Albiceleste is set to hold the country’s attention for a few hours, and Dybala, who has shared important international moments with him, does not want to miss it.
Yet Gasperini has made clear that Roma’s priorities lie elsewhere. The coach is opposed to two regular players taking a long intercontinental trip at a sensitive point in the season, with Roma due to visit Como five days later and then face Real Madrid in the Champions League a week after the Argentina event.
The journey would involve roughly 14 hours of flying in each direction and would cost Dybala and Molina three training days. Neither player is part of Lionel Scaloni’s match squad, meaning they would not play against Benin. Roma players Matias Soulé, Leonardo Balerdi and Santiago Castro are instead among those selected to take the field.
Como’s Nico Paz has also received a formal call-up from Scaloni, adding another Argentine presence to the build-up for Roma’s difficult away match after the break.
A decision after the break
- Argentina will mark Messi’s farewell against Benin at the Monumental on 6 October.
- Dybala and Molina have been invited as members of the wider World Cup-winning group, rather than as players for the fixture.
- Roma resume training on Tuesday, when Gasperini will speak with both players.
- The club will then reach a final decision on whether either can travel to Buenos Aires.
For Dybala and Molina, the invitation represents the chance to witness a defining Argentine football occasion alongside former teammates and the rest of the 2022 champions. For Gasperini, it is a question of preparation, recovery and the demands waiting immediately after the pause. Roma must now decide how much room a historic night can have in an already crowded championship week.
