
Mon Sep 22 19:50:00 UTC 2025: ## Le Classique Clash Forces PSG to Miss Ballon d’Or Ceremony
**Paris, France** – Paris Saint-Germain will be largely absent from the prestigious 2025 Ballon d’Or awards ceremony in Paris on September 22nd due to a scheduling conflict with their rescheduled Ligue 1 match against arch-rivals Marseille.
The highly anticipated “Le Classique,” originally slated for Sunday, was postponed due to severe thunderstorms in the Bouches-du-Rhne region. Ligue 1 regulations mandated the match be moved to the following day, Monday evening, directly clashing with the Ballon d’Or gala at the Théâtre du Châtelet.
While several PSG stars are nominated, including Ballon d’Or frontrunner Ousmane Dembele, Achraf Hakimi, and others, their participation as a team is now impossible. Regional prefect Georges-François Leclerc confirmed the club’s disappointment, stating they would have preferred an earlier kick-off to accommodate the awards.
Though some injured players like Dembele, Desire Doue, and Joao Neves may attend individually, the bulk of the squad and coaching staff, including manager Luis Enrique, will be focused on the crucial match against Marseille. This means Enrique will likely miss receiving his Johan Cruyff Trophy in person.
Adding to the drama, Real Madrid is also reportedly skipping the ceremony for the second consecutive year, this time as a deliberate protest after feeling snubbed at the 2024 awards.
Meanwhile, former PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma will be in attendence at the Paris ceremony as he is the favourite to win the Yashin Trophy (best goalkeeper) after completing his transfer to Manchester City.
Dembele could still claim the coveted Ballon d’Or trophy, but he will likely do so without the support of his teammates, creating a unique and subdued atmosphere for PSG at this year’s awards.