Why Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina are blocked from Messi’s farewell despite the entire 2022 World Cup winners’ squad being invited

Roma have blocked Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina from attending Lionel Messi’s final farewell to Argentina due to scheduling and travel issues / Image: Instagram Lionel Messi’s final appearance in Argentina was set to bring together almost the entire group that helped him win the 2022 World Cup, but two familiar faces will be missing for the occasion. Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina have been invited to say goodbye to their families, but their return to Argentina will have to wait after Roma decided the timing was simply too difficult for the club.

The Roma are blocking Dybal and Molina’s way to Argentina

AFA president Claudio Tapia has invited all members of Argentina’s 2022 World Cup winning squad to attend Messi’s farewell against Benin, with the players and their families expected to be part of the celebrations at the Estadio Monumental.Dybala and Molina have now become the first two confirmed absences from this group after Roma refused to release the pair for the transatlantic trip despite neither player being involved with Argentina during the current international window.Roma explained his decision in a statement on Tuesday, citing the length of the trip and the proximity of the club’s other competitive commitments.“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 statement read.“The club recognizes the importance of this appointment for two players who are linked to Lionel Messi and played a key role in his victory at the 2022 World Cup. The club’s choice was based on sporting and logistical reasons linked to the length of the intercontinental journey and the proximity of official commitments.”AS Roma expresses its utmost respect to Lionel Messi and his extraordinary career and wishes him and the Argentine Federation a special evening.Roma currently lead Serie A after five games, level on points with reigning champions Inter Milan and city rivals Lazio, making the club particularly reluctant to lose key players for a celebratory trip at this stage of the season.

Gasperini explains why the timing was impossible

Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini also dealt with the decision before Messi’s farewell, so the issue sounds much more practical than personal.Roma’s first game after the international break comes at Como 1907 on October 11, just five days after Messi’s last appearance in Argentina, while a big meeting with Real Madrid follows soon after.Speaking to Sky Sport Italia on Monday, Gasperini explained why he did not want Dybala and Molina to make the long trip to South America before returning straight to a tough domestic schedule.“We are too close to an important game like ours on Sunday (to have Dybala and Molina fly to and from Argentina),” Gasperini said. “We’re a long way from Argentina and to send them there would mean flying for a lot of hours so close to the game and Roma would prefer that not happen.”Despite the roadblock, Gasperini made it clear he understands what the occasion means for Messi and those who played alongside him during Argentina’s greatest period of recent success.“Messi’s farewell will be emotional,” Gasperini said. “I’ve personally seen a lot of star players, first as a player and then as a coach, but it’s hard to imagine anyone who has achieved what Lionel has. I’m sorry to see his career at Albiceleste come to an end.”

Why Dybala and Molina weren’t with Argentina anyway

Should Lionel Scaloni select Dybala and Molina for Argentina’s September-October international window, Roma would have little room to prevent either player from traveling for Messi’s farewell.However, their absence from the lineup comes for very different reasons.Dybala has not played for Argentina since a brief appearance against Colombia during a 2026 World Cup qualifier on 10 September 2024.Despite a strong season in European football, Dybala has never established himself as a regular part of Scaloni’s attacking plans, with his position overlapping with Messi and younger players such as Nico Paz and Franco Mastantuono now getting opportunities in front of them.Molina’s situation is more straightforward as he remains unavailable for Argentina while he serves a seven-match suspension for his involvement in the clashes that followed the 2026 World Cup finals.However, the pair remained closely linked to the generation that gave Argentina their third World Cup star, with Dybala and Molina making 105 international appearances together.While they will miss the chance to say goodbye to Messi with his former World Cup teammates, several other Serie A players will be in attendance, including Inter captain Lautaro Martínez, Juventus winger Nico González and Como striker Nico Paz.Roma will also have three players represented on the occasion through the Argentina squad, with Leonardo Balerdi, Matías Soulé and Santiago Castro all in the farewell match.