Ballon d'or: PSG faces harsh criticism ahead of the ceremony | OneFootball

Nasser Al-Khelaïfi

PSG, seemingly certain to claim the 2025 Ballon d'Or, has come under heavy fire just hours before the ceremony.

Scheduled for Sunday evening, the Classique between OM and PSG was postponed to Monday (8 p.m.), mainly due to severe weather conditions in southeastern France. With the Ballon d'Or awards ceremony set for the same time, the French and European champions reportedly suggested moving the match earlier in the afternoon. This proposal did not go down well with pundit Daniel Riolo.

"How far is PSG willing to go? Suggesting to play at 3 or 5 p.m.—it’s shameful. Making such a proposal is a total lack of respect. It means you couldn’t care less about the significance of this match, or whether the home supporters can even attend or would have to take a day off work since it’s an inconvenient time. By making this suggestion, you’re basically saying: 'We don’t care about this match; all that matters to us is the Ballon d'Or ceremony.' That’s the message Paris sent with these proposals," the journalist declared on RMC.

He went on to say that Ousmane Dembélé is almost certain to take home the award: "Anyway, I don’t think OM would ever have agreed out of respect for the fixture and their fans. But even just trying to push this through is, in my opinion, a disgraceful suggestion and a complete lack of respect. Yes, the Ballon d'Or ceremony is poorly timed—so be it—but that won’t stop us from seeing Dembélé, who is very likely to win it, lift the trophy, and they’ll be able to celebrate all the same."