Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele, one of the frontrunners for the 2025 Ballon d’Or, may be forced to skip the prestigious awards night in Paris. The reason? A rescheduled Ligue 1 showdown between PSG and Marseille is now set to take place on Monday night, overlapping with the timing of the Ballon d’Or ceremony.
The Ballon d’Or gala is scheduled to begin at 12:30 AM IST on Tuesday, while PSG kick off their clash against Marseille at 11:30 PM IST on Monday. The fixture was moved after severe weather conditions hit the South of France, disrupting the original schedule.
While Dembele is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury sustained during international duty, there remains a slim chance he could still attend the ceremony. Fellow injured PSG teammates Desire Doue and Joao Neves might also make appearances at the event.
The competition for this year’s Ballon d’Or is fierce, with nominees including Jude Bellingham, Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Lautaro Martinez, Robert Lewandowski, Mohamed Salah, Harry Kane, Virgil van Dijk, and many more top names in world football. PSG’s strong presence is also reflected with multiple players—Achraf Hakimi, Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz, and Gianluigi Donnarumma—earning nominations.
However, PSG’s packed schedule means several of these stars, including Hakimi, Kvaratskhelia, Mendes, Vitinha, and Ruiz, are expected to feature in the Marseille fixture instead of attending the Paris ceremony. Adding further anticipation, PSG head coach Luis Enrique is also shortlisted among the top five nominees for the Coach of the Year award.
With Dembele tipped as one of the favorites, his potential absence would be a major talking point on what promises to be a dramatic night for both French football and the world stage.