Due to heavy rain and storms in southern France, the Ligue 1 organizers postponed the Marseille - PSG match, originally scheduled for 21/9, by 24 hours. The game will now take place at 7 p.m. on Monday, 22/9, at the Velodrome stadium, coinciding with the Ballon d'Or ceremony in Paris, preventing many PSG players from attending.
PSG boasts 8 Ballon d'Or nominees, in addition to goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma who recently transferred to Man City. Ousmane Dembele is the frontrunner. According to European bookmakers, the odds of the French forward winning are 1/6, far ahead of the second favorite, Lamine Yamal, at 4/1. Mohamed Salah and Raphinha are tied for third at 16/1.
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Dembele celebrates during PSG's 6-3 victory over Toulouse in Ligue 1 on 30/8. Photo: Icon Sport |
Dembele celebrates during PSG's 6-3 victory over Toulouse in Ligue 1 on 30/8. Photo: Icon Sport
Unlike his teammates, Dembele will be able to attend the Ballon d'Or ceremony. He will miss the Marseille - PSG match due to injury. Two other PSG players on the nominee list, Desire Doue and Joao Neves, will also be present at the Chatelet Theatre for the same reason.
However, the remaining 5 nominees, Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, and Fabian Ruiz, will likely be playing against Marseille. Luis Enrique, the leading contender for Coach of the Year, will also be absent due to his managerial duties with PSG. In addition to the individual nominations, PSG is also nominated for Team of the Year.
PSG currently leads Ligue 1 with four consecutive victories: Nantes 1-0, Angers 1-0, Toulouse 6-3, and Lens 2-0. They also defeated Tottenham 4-3 in a penalty shootout during the European Super Cup and Atalanta 4-0 in their Champions League opener.
Last season, PSG achieved a quadruple, winning the Champions League, Ligue 1, the French Cup, and the French Super Cup. Dembele was instrumental in the club's success, scoring 35 goals and providing 16 assists. If he wins, the 28-year-old forward will be the sixth French player to receive the Ballon d'Or, following Raymond Kopa, Michel Platini, Jean-Pierre Papin, Zinedine Zidane, and Karim Benzema.
Thanh Quy (according to ESPN)
