Roma’s Champions League return highlights record Argentine presence

La RomArg celebrates as Roma, known as the Loba, secure a Champions League spot, fielding five Argentines in the squad – a record that lifts the total of Argentine players who have worn the giallorossi shirt to forty‑one in recent history.

A historic Argentine presence

The headline begins with Agregar Olé en La RomArg, underscoring the milestone. With Balerdi, Castro, Dybala, Soulé and Molina on the roster, the club now boasts five Argentine internationals, the highest ever at one time.

Dybala is the only starter among them, while Soulé, Castro, Molina and Balerdi feature off the bench. Their combined experience adds depth as Roma prepares for the UCL knockout phase.

Roma’s upcoming Champions League challenge

Last Saturday (6 September) Roma turned a superb performance against Atalanta into a win, with the Loba fielding five Argentines – an unprecedented moment in club history.

The match, played at the Olímpico, saw Dybala start, while Soulé, Castro, Molina and Balerdi completed the historic Argentine line‑up on the pitch.

Roma now embarks on its Champions League campaign, opening away at Fenerbahçe on Thursday at 13.45 local time. The draw also pits them against PSG, Manchester United and Real Madrid later in the tournament.

The Argentine connection dates back to July 1930 when Nicolas Italo Lombardo moved from Barracas Central to the Giallorossi, becoming the first Argentine to wear the shirt.

Subsequent pioneers included Miguel Ángel Pantó, who captained Roma to the 1941/42 Scudetto, scoring twelve goals, and Pedro Waldemar Manfredini, who helped win the 1963/64 Coppa Italia.

Later stars such as Claudio Caniggia, Gabriel Omar Batistuta – often called Bati – and Diego Simeone’s compatriot contributed to further successes, with Batistuta netting twenty goals in the 2000/01 title‑winning season.

From 2010 to 2018, Argentine talents like Nicolás Burdisso, Guillermo Burdisso, Gabriel Heinze, Erik Lamela, Fernando Gago, Leandro Paredes, Nicolás Spolli and Jonathan Silva added to the tally, bringing the total to forty‑one.