Dembele to miss Ballon d’Or event as PSG game moved amid protests in France

What the report says

Paris Saint-Germain’s Ligue 1 match against Lyon has been postponed from Sunday to Monday after French police requested the change because of violent protests in France, according to Al Jazeera’s report citing the French league. The game was scheduled in Paris, and the league said it acted after a police order barring the match from going ahead at its original time.

The move has a direct consequence for PSG and France forward Ousmane Dembele, who will now miss the Ballon d’Or ceremony in London on Monday. Al Jazeera reported that Dembele, the reigning winner, was among several PSG players nominated for the award, along with teammates including Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Marquinhos and others. The article said Dembele had been considered one of the favorites after helping France reach the 2026 World Cup semifinals and PSG defend the Champions League title.

The postponement comes as French authorities prepare for another weekend of demonstrations in Paris and elsewhere, following unrest earlier in the month. The report also notes that police and troops are being deployed for security around protest activity and other major sporting events in the capital area.

More broadly, the timing highlights how public disorder in France is disrupting sport and other large events. Al Jazeera reported that another Ligue 1 match in Toulouse was also shifted at local authorities’ request, underscoring the wider impact of the protests on the domestic schedule.