New developments this Sunday have added weight to the rumours that Ousmane Dembele and several Paris Saint Germain players will be unable to attend the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris.

The reason reportedly stems from the postponement of the Ligue 1 match between PSG and Marseille.

Olympique de Marseille released an official statement confirming the game against PSG that had been due to take place on Sunday evening at the Orange Vélodrome has been rescheduled to Monday September,22, at 20:00 local time. 

The new time for the fixture clashes with the Ballon d’Or Gala set to take place tomorrow at the Théâtre du Châtelet.

Marseille said this decision follows the Prefecture of Bouches-du-Rhône raising the alert level for rainfall and flood risk in the region due to severe weather.

“Olympique de Marseille takes note of the decision of the Bouches-du-Rhône Prefecture to postpone the OM - PSG match, initially scheduled for tonight, for safety reasons related to weather conditions in the region. As communicated by the Ligue de Football Professionel (LFP), and in accordance with its regulations, the match is rescheduled this Monday, September 22 at 8 p.m., at the Orange Vélodrome. The club informs its supporters that tickets purchased for the match scheduled for tonight will remain valid for the rescheduled match tomorrow,” Marseille said in an official statement.

PSG also acknowledged the postponement in an update on their website. 

The reigning Champions of Europe confirmed that the match has been postponed “to a later date” (which has been set as Monday night) in compliance with the decision of the Prefecture due to inclement weather conditions.

“The Matchday 5 encounter between Olympique de Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain, originally scheduled for Sunday 21 September 2025, has been postponed to a later date. This follows a decision from the Préfecture des Bouches-du-Rhône, due to the inclement weather conditions,” a statement on the club’s website read.

PSG have not explicitly said that Dembele or other stars will not attend the Ballon d’Or ceremony. 

However, the timing of the rescheduled match now directly overlaps with the ceremony, creating a clash that will force choices. 

PSG have confirmed that key players are injured. Joao Neves was officially ruled out of the Marseille fixture because of a left hamstring injury sustained during the Champions League opener. 

Dembele and Désiré Doué are also reportedly not in the squad for the match because of fitness concerns. These absences increase the possibility that Dembele might be free to attend the Ballon d’Or event. 

With many PSG players nominated for awards, the clash tests whether the club will push for attendance or negotiate absence. 

Though there is no definitive confirmation that Dembele and PSG will skip the Ballon d’Or ceremony, the overlap in schedule together with injuries make absence a strong possibility. 

PSG sporting director Luis Campos has already publicly backed Dembele as fully deserving of the Ballon d’Or, saying: “If [Dembele] name was Leo Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, there would be no argument … If he does not win the Ballon d’Or it is because the people who voted do not have the competence … because his stats and everything he has won are very strong.” 

If PSG do not attend or Dembele is absent, it could ignite criticism over club scheduling, player welfare and whether major individual awards have become secondary to fixture congestion.