Roma have refused to let Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina travel to Buenos Aires for Lionel Messi’s farewell match against Benin on 6 October, citing travel demands and fixture congestion.
The Serie A club confirmed the decision in a statement on 29 September, three days after reports of the refusal first emerged. Neither player would have taken part in the match itself. Dybala was not called up by Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni, and Molina is serving a seven-match international ban for his part in on-field clashes after the 2026 World Cup final.
The friendly at the Estadio Monumental will be Messi’s 208th and final appearance for Argentina, closing an international career that began in 2005. The Argentine Football Association has invited players who shared the 2022 World Cup triumph with him to take part in the celebrations. Dybala and Molina were both in that squad.
Roma said the decision was sporting and logistical, not disciplinary. Gian Piero Gasperini’s side host Como in Serie A on 11 October and Real Madrid in the Champions League on 14 October, and the club said an intercontinental round trip in between was not practical. Both players will instead return to team training.
The club acknowledged what the occasion meant to the pair, noting their close bond with Messi. It added that it had the “utmost respect for Lionel Messi and his extraordinary career” and wished him and the Argentine Football Association a special evening.
The farewell gives Benin a rare place in a global football occasion. The West African side, Ghana’s neighbour but one along the coast, will be the opponents as Argentina say goodbye to their record appearance-maker.
