Nasser Al-Khelaifi, president of Paris Saint-Germain, was among the most notable absentees from the Ballon d’Or ceremony in London after choosing to remain in Paris for his club’s Ligue 1 match against Lyon.
The game was played at Parc des Princes on the same evening as the awards ceremony, with Al-Khelaifi opting to support Paris Saint-Germain in person rather than attend the event.
Several Paris Saint-Germain players were also unable to travel to London because of the fixture. They included Ashraf Hakimi, Vitinha, Joao Neves, Fabian Ruiz and Willian Pacho, all of whom were among the nominees for the award.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was another Paris Saint-Germain player absent from the ceremony. He could not attend because of a serious injury that requires surgery in the coming days.
