Why Ousmane Dembele And PSG Stars Will Not Attend Ballon d'Or Gala
- PSG stars are expected to miss the Ballon d’Or ceremony on Monday, September 22, after a controversial call by Ligue 1 officials
- The glitzy event in Paris was set to highlight the club’s incredible year, but their absence will cast a shadow over the celebrations
- Among the nominees is France's Ousmane Dembele, the frontrunner for football’s most prestigious individual prize
Ousmane Dembélé and his Paris Saint-Germain teammates may be absent when the 2025 Ballon d’Or winner is unveiled on Monday night.
The French forward is considered one of the frontrunners for the coveted award after delivering a stunning season in which he scored 35 goals and provided 16 assists across all competitions.
Source: Getty Images
Dembele is part of a talented shortlist that features rising and established stars such as Desire Doué, Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Nuno Mendes, João Neves, Fabián Ruiz, Vitinha, and Gianluigi Donnarumma, who now plies his trade at Manchester City.
However, despite the anticipation surrounding the event, neither Dembele nor his PSG teammates are expected to attend the ceremony at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.
Why PSG stars may not attend Ballon d'Or gala
This development comes after PSG were forced to push back their Ligue 1 showdown with Marseille over the weekend.
According to The Standard, the highly anticipated ‘Le Classique’, originally set for Sunday evening at the Stade Vélodrome, was postponed after severe thunderstorms swept through the region.
The LFP tweeted on Sunday:
"The Classique @OM_Officiel - @PSG_inside postponed to Monday, September 22 at 8:00 PM. Due to the severe weather conditions forecast for the Marseille region, the Olympique de Marseille-Paris Saint-Germain match, counting towards matchday 5 of @Ligue1 and scheduled for this evening, has been postponed by decision of the Prefect of Bouches-du-Rhône.
"The match has been rescheduled for this Monday, September 22 at 8:00 PM. It will be available to follow live on @ligue1plus."
According to Ligue 1 regulations, fixtures disrupted by adverse weather must be played the following day, meaning the game has now been pushed back to Monday night.
The rescheduled showdown is set for 7 pm BST, leaving Dembele and his PSG teammates unlikely to make the Ballon d’Or ceremony, which begins just 45 minutes later, per Goal.
PSG enjoyed a remarkable campaign last season, sweeping to a quadruple with triumphs in Ligue 1, the Coupe de France, the Trophée des Champions, and the Champions League.
Meanwhile, a leaked list claiming to show the top 10 finishers for the 2025 men’s Ballon d’Or has gone viral on social media.
The unconfirmed but widely shared list places Barcelona’s Raphinha at the top with 800 points.
If the leak is accurate, PSG star Ousmane Dembele comes second with 710 points, followed by Lamine Yamal in third. $
PSG duo Vitinha and Nuno Mendes reportedly sit fourth and fifth, with Pedri in sixth, Kylian Mbappé in seventh, and Mohamed Salah, Désiré Doué, and Lautaro Martínez rounding out the top 10.
The alleged top 10, according to the leaked list, in this year's vote are shared on X below:
Raphinha was one of four Barcelona players shortlisted, alongside Yamal, Robert Lewandowski, and Pedri, after the Catalan giants secured a domestic treble of La Liga, the Supercopa de España, and the Copa del Rey last season.
In Europe’s top five leagues during the 2024-25 campaign, only Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah (57), also a nominee, managed more goal involvements than Raphinha’s 56.
Source: Getty Images
Organisers inform Dembele he's won Ballon d'Or
In an earlier report, YEN.com.gh highlighted claims from a popular football account on X alleging that organisers had already informed Ousmane Dembélé he would be crowned the 2025 Ballon d’Or winner.
The speculation created a stir among fans worldwide, with many debating whether the leak was genuine or simply part of the usual pre-award buzz.
Proofreading by Omoleye Omoruyi, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
