Nahuel Molina was due to get the chance to play for his country during the international break. But his club Roma are not willing to release the defender from Argentina’s World Cup-winning side this time. Although a reduction in his FIFA ban opened the way back to the Argentina squad, the club has decided to keep Molina in Italy.
According to Football Italia, Roma have told the Argentine Football Association (AFA) that they will not allow Molina to join the national team. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni wanted him in the squad, but the club’s decision makes that impossible for now. Roma have told the right-back to join his teammates in training from tomorrow.
Roma’s position rests on the arithmetic of FIFA’s punishment. FIFA banned Molina for seven matches and fined him $90,000 for violent conduct after Argentina’s 1-0 defeat to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final. His teammate and former Roma midfielder Leandro Paredes was punished over the same incident, with a 10-match ban and a $90,000 fine.
Last Saturday, however, FIFA reduced Molina’s ban from seven matches to four. He has already served three of them, missing Argentina’s three friendlies in October against Bolivia, Burkina Faso and Benin. That leaves one match to serve.
Argentina play two important friendlies in the November break, against Uruguay and Costa Rica. Molina is ineligible for the first because of the ban but would be eligible for the second. Roma believe, however, that keeping him in Italy to avoid the strain of long-haul travel is better for both player and club.
Scaloni’s latest squad includes seven players from the Italian league. Molina’s Roma teammates Leonardo Balerdi, Matias Soule and Santiago Castro are on the list. Como’s Nico Paz and Maxi Perrone, Parma’s Mariano Troilo and Fiorentina’s Franco Mastantuono have also been called up.
Molina is having a good time at club level. He has played 12 matches for Roma in all competitions this season, scoring one goal in the Champions League and setting up two in Serie A.
Roma are doing well too. They are third in Serie A with 27 points, just two behind leaders Lazio.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report