PSG Miss Ballon d'Or Ceremony for Rescheduled Marseille Clash
This week, a rare clash between football’s biggest individual prize and one of France’s most iconic fixtures has taken center stage. Paris Saint-Germain’s players and staff will not be attending the Ballon d’Or ceremony, despite nine of their stars being nominated, because the awards night will now take place at the same time as Le Classique against Olympique de Marseille.
The situation unfolded unexpectedly. Originally, PSG were due to play Marseille on Sunday evening, but severe weather warnings in the south of France changed everything. Heavy rainfall and the threat of dangerous conditions prompted the authorities to step in. The local prefecture announced that the match could not safely go ahead, citing forecasts of up to 120mm of rainfall within a few hours. As a result, the game was postponed and rescheduled for Monday evening at the Orange Vélodrome, directly overlapping with the Ballon d’Or gala in Paris.
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For PSG, the timing could not have been more unfortunate. A total of nine players from their treble-winning squad had been nominated for the award, including Ousmane Dembélé, Achraf Hakimi, Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, and several others. Even Gianluigi Donnarumma, now at Manchester City, was among those recognized. Dembélé in particular had been widely tipped as the favorite, following a spectacular season that delivered 35 goals and 16 assists across all competitions.
However, with the schedule change, the entire PSG contingent will be forced to miss the ceremony. Luis Enrique, nominated for the Men’s Coach of the Year award, will also be absent, since his focus must remain on guiding his side from the touchline in such a high-profile Ligue 1 match. Dembélé and young midfielder Désiré Doué, both sidelined with injuries, will not feature against Marseille either, but their absence does not free them up to travel to the awards in Paris.
Olympique de Marseille released a statement expressing regret about the postponement, emphasizing the disruption to both teams and the fans who had already gathered for the match. They confirmed that all tickets purchased for Sunday would remain valid for the rescheduled fixture on Monday. Safety, though, had to take priority, with the authorities stressing that player and supporter well-being outweighed any inconvenience.
So, while the footballing world gathers in Paris to see who will claim the Ballon d’Or, PSG will be fully engaged in their most heated domestic rivalry. It means that if Dembélé’s name is called as the winner, one of the most memorable moments of his career could be experienced from afar. This unusual overlap serves as a reminder that in football, timing and circumstance often play as big a role as talent and achievement.
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