Ballon d'Or ceremony: Why favourite may not be in attendance as Ousmane Dembele, Lamine Yamal to learn outcome of vote

Ousmane Dembele is at risk of missing the Ballon d'Or ceremony on Monday night as Paris Saint-Germain's game against Marseille has been rescheduled from Sunday to Monday.

PSG were crowned European champions at the end of the 2024-25 season, winning UEFA's premier club competition for the first time in their history, and Dembele played a starring role in the team's triumph.

The 28-year-old's exploits have made him favourite to win the Ballon d'Or ahead of the likes of Lamine Yamal and Mohamed Salah, but the forward may not be present at the ceremony to collect his award.

PSG were set to play against rivals Marseille in Ligue 1 in the first Le Classique of the season at the Stade Velodrome on Sunday evening, but severe thunderstorms in the region have caused the game to be postponed.

Ligue 1 regulations state that any match that has been called off as a result of weather conditions should be played on the following day, and the fixture's 7pm kickoff BST clashes with the ceremony's start time of 7.45pm.

Ousmane Dembele's season: Why Paris Saint-Germain forward is the favourite

Demebele's career path to becoming the favourite to win the Ballon d'Or has not been an easy one, with many spectators believing that his talent had been wasted at Barcelona.

The Frenchman scored just 24 La Liga goals for the Spanish giants in six seasons, and he was frequently criticised for his work out of possession.

Dembele netted just three times in Ligue 1 in 2023-24, but the attacker was rejuvenated under PSG boss Luis Enrique last season, scoring 33 goals and providing 13 assists in 49 games in all competitions.

Dembele was among the most intense forwards without the ball in Europe in 2024-25, and while others may have a claim to the award, the Frenchman would not be an unworthy winner.

Does Lamine Yamal have a case for the Ballon d'Or?

One of the outstanding players of last season was teenager Yamal, who helped guide Barcelona to the La Liga title, as well as to the semi-finals of the Champions League.

The Spaniard scored 18 goals and provided 21 assists in all competitions, and he excelled in key matches against the likes of Inter Milan in Europe.

It should be noted that while the 18-year-old enjoyed an excellent campaign, teammate Raphinha was arguably Barca's best player given he scored 34 times and provided 22 assists.

It would be somewhat surprising if either managed to beat Dembele to the award considering winning the Champions League has often proved to be the decisive factor, though they are sure to be ranked highly by the time the votes are counted.