Ballon d’Or 2025: Dembele, other PSG players may miss ceremony

The Ballon d'Or ceremony may face the absence of several Paris Saint-Germain stars after organizers rescheduled the Le Classique match against Marseille to Monday night due to forecasts of severe storms in southern France, creating a direct clash with the awards event in Paris.

This scheduling conflict poses a dilemma for PSG players, as the derby match now coincides with the ceremony where Ousmane Dembélé is a leading contender for the men's Ballon d'Or, following PSG's Champions League and European Super Cup victories, and nine other club nominees are also up for awards, making PSG the most represented club.

Injuries to Dembélé and rising star Désiré Doué mean they could still attend the ceremony if they choose, as they are already ruled out of the match, but other fit players may need to prioritize the game over the prestigious individual honors.

The postponement was prompted by an orange alert for heavy rain, flooding, and thunderstorms in the Bouches-du-Rhône region, where Marseille's Vélodrome is located, to ensure safety amid the severe weather conditions.

This situation differs from the 2024 ceremony boycott by Real Madrid in protest of award outcomes, as PSG's potential absence stems solely from fixture reshuffling due to weather, not any form of demonstration.