PSG players to miss Ballon d’Or ceremony as Ligue 1 match moved

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) will field players at their Ligue 1 match against Lyon on Monday, following a security-driven move from the original Sunday slot. The rescheduled fixture clashes with the Ballon d’Or ceremony in London, which PSG players, including last year's winner Ousmane Dembele, are nominated for. French authorities are preparing for a significant security operation, with up to 70,000 officers possibly deployed, due to recent unrest across the country.

PSG were originally scheduled to host Lyon on Sunday evening at the Parc des Princes, but the match has been pushed back to Monday at 8:30pm. Paris will also host its first NFL game on Sunday afternoon, featuring the Pittsburgh Steelers against the New Orleans Saints at the Stade de France, expected to proceed as planned with extra police presence.

Ten PSG players are nominated for the men’s Ballon d’Or award, including Dembele, Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Marquinhos, Nuno Mendes, Joao Neves, Willian Pacho, Fabian Ruiz, Ferran Torres, Vitinha, Warren Zaire-Emery for the young talent award, Matvey Safonov for the goalkeeper award, and Luis Enrique for the men’s coach of the year award.

However, three named players – Dembele, Kvaratskhelia and Marquinhos – may still attend the London ceremony as they are currently sidelined due to injuries, with Kvaratskhelia having recently ruptured his ACL during a win over Barcelona.