The Ballon d’Or ceremony may take place without several Paris Saint-Germain stars after organisers confirmed that Le Classique against Marseille has been rescheduled to Monday night due to severe weather forecasts in southern France.
The switch means PSG’s derby at the Vélodrome will now kick off at the same time as football’s most prestigious awards night at Paris’ Théâtre du Châtelet, creating a major scheduling headache for the French champions.
Among the players affected is Ousmane Dembélé, who is considered one of the leading contenders for the men’s Ballon d’Or after inspiring PSG to their Champions League triumph in May and European Super Cup victory in August.
PSG have a record 10 players nominated across different categories, making them the most represented club on this year’s shortlist. However, with the Marseille clash now coinciding with the ceremony, many of them may have to choose club duty over personal glory.
Head coach Luis Enrique is already without Dembélé and teenager Désiré Doué for the match through injury, leaving both with the option of attending the ceremony.
Local authorities placed the Bouches-du-Rhône region under an orange alert for heavy rain, flooding, and thunderstorms, prompting the decision to delay the fixture from Sunday to Monday.
The timing sets up another awkward storyline for the Ballon d’Or, just a year after Real Madrid overshadowed the 2024 edition by boycotting it in protest over Vinícius Júnior missing out on the top prize to Manchester City’s Rodri. PSG’s potential absence, however, stems from a fixture reshuffle rather than controversy.
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