Why PSG Players Will Miss Ballon d’Or Ceremony
Paris Saint-Germain stars may be forced to miss the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony after their Ligue 1 clash with Marseille was rescheduled for the same night.
The Classique was originally set for Sunday, but heavy rain in Marseille made it impossible to play. The Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) has now confirmed the game will instead take place on Monday, 22 September at 8pm – clashing directly with the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris.
This means PSG forward Ousmane Dembele, one of the favourites for the Golden Ball, could miss his own coronation if he wins. The Frenchman enjoyed the best season of his career, scoring 35 goals and providing 16 assists while helping PSG lift the Champions League, Ligue 1, and the Coupe de France.
Dembele is not the only PSG player affected. Seven other teammates – Desire Doue, Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Nuno Mendes, Joao Neves, Vitinha, and Fabian Ruiz – have also been nominated for the award, but may be unable to attend.
The LFP explained in a statement that the game was postponed “due to severe weather conditions forecast for the Marseille region” and confirmed the new date and time.
Interestingly, both Dembele and Doue were left out of PSG’s squad for the match because of injuries, meaning they could remain in Paris and still make it to the Ballon d’Or event.
PSG will turn their attention to Auxerre after the Marseille clash, with that fixture scheduled for 27 September.
