Explained: Why Ousmane Dembele Might Miss Ballon d’ Or Ceremony

Ousmane Dembele won the Champions League with PSG (Picture credit: AFP)

France and Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele might miss the Ballon d’Or ceremony at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, as his team’s Ligue 1 game against Marseille has been pushed to Monday evening, hours before the coveted award ceremony is scheduled.

The game was postponed because of extreme weather conditions in the South of France. Meanwhile, PSG face Marseille at 11:30 PM IST on Monday, just an hour before the Ballon d’Or ceremony.

Dembele could still attend the ceremony as he was recovering from a hamstring injury. He suffered the injury on international duty in August. If he skips the Ligue 1 game, he might be seen at the Ballon d’Or ceremony.

With Rodri not a contender to retain the most prestigious individual prize in football after last season was marred by injury, Dembele has emerged as the favourite from a list of nominees dominated by Paris Saint-Germain.

But Dembele stands out after a magnificent season in which he filled the void left in Paris by the departed Kylian Mbappe, scoring 35 goals.

It was a spectacular campaign for the French club and an even more extraordinary one for Dembele, the 28-year-old winger turned centre-forward whose previous most prolific season had delivered 14 goals for Barcelona in 2018/19.

“It is nice after what was a wonderful season with PSG. I think it’s true that I am one of the favourites, but we will see what happens,” Dembele said while speaking to The world.

Even though the Ballon d’Or money prize doesn’t exist, the recognition is far more valuable. Footballers who win often receive bonuses from their clubs and bag multimillion-dollar sponsorships.

In the end, the Ballon d’Or isn’t about the trophy cost but about the prestige, legacy and global impact that come with winning the most important individual award in football.