Real Madrid in the picture: Roma club apologises to Messi officially

Roma have confirmed that Paulo Dybala and Nahuel Molina will not travel to Argentina for Lionel Messi's farewell ceremony, three days after the first reports of the refusal emerged.

The club said, via its official website, that the players "will not attend the Argentina versus Benin match on 6 October", acknowledging what this occasion means for them.

It added: "The club understands the importance of this occasion for both players, who have a close relationship with Lionel Messi and were part of the Argentina team that won the 2022 World Cup alongside him."

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This was no disciplinary matter, the Italian capital club insisted. The decision came "for sporting and logistical reasons, taking into account the length of the transcontinental journey and the proximity of the club's upcoming competitive matches".

Gian Piero Gasperini's side face Como on Sunday 11 October in Serie A, then a Champions League clash against Real Madrid on Wednesday 14 of the same month.

Club Statement 📄 https://t.co/1xxfCHDioW #ASRoma pic.twitter.com/wVKrdqwfkF — AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) September 29, 2026

Neither player would have featured in the game anyway. "Dybala was not called up, while Molina is serving the midpoint of his seven-match international ban, which was imposed on him after the 2026 World Cup final", according to Football Italia . That weighed heavily on Roma's thinking.

Roma closed their statement with a nod to Messi himself: "Roma have the utmost respect for Lionel Messi and his extraordinary career, and wish him and the Argentine Football Association a very special evening."

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