PSG President Nasser Al-Khelaifi Chooses Ballon d’Or Ceremony Over Clash Against Marseille

Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi will attend the Ballon d’Or gala in Paris tonight, missing his team’s vital Ligue 1 fixture against Marseille.

WHAT HAPPENED

The classic Ligue 1 game between PSG and Marseille was rescheduled to Monday due to poor weather, creating a difficult choice for Al-Khelaifi. With the prestigious Ballon d’Or ceremony taking place at the same time in Paris, he opted for the gala event rather than travelling to the high-stakes match at the Vélodrome. Several PSG stars are contenders for major awards at the ceremony, including Ousmane Dembélé and Désiré Doué, who are currently sidelined with serious injuries, as confirmed in a recent report by us previously. Other notable PSG figures such as Achraf Hakimi and manager Luis Enrique are also nominated for different honours. This decision signals the importance PSG now places on global recognition and individual accomplishments, even if it means missing a classic rivalry game.

GLOBAL PRESTIGE OVER NATIONAL RIVALRY

PSG sit second in Ligue 1 with 12 points from five games, level on points with Monaco, Lyon and Strasbourg. Marseille are sixth with 9 points. Tonight’s match is critical, as a PSG win would put them back at the top of the table. Still, Al-Khelaifi chose the Ballon d’Or ceremony, underlining the club’s increasing focus on international branding and the success of its players on the world stage. This choice hints at how priorities are shifting in modern football, with some rivalries seen as less intense in comparison to global events like the Ballon d’Or.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

After the ceremony and tonight’s match, PSG will prepare for their Champions League group stage encounter against Barcelona next week. In Ligue 1, they play Auxerre this weekend as they try to bounce back from theri loss at Marseille last night. The outcome of this week’s events could impact team morale and shape the international image of PSG. All eyes will be on the Ballon d’Or, especially with a possible win for Ousmane Dembélé, and on how PSG performs against their biggest rivals without their president in attendance.