Sunderland extended congratulations to Ousmane Dembele for being awarded the Ballon d’Or, despite the fact that the Paris Saint-Germain superstar has never played for the Black Cats. Dembele, who currently plays for PSG, had an outstanding 2024-25 season, leading to his crowning as the world’s best player at the prestigious award ceremony.
While Dembele has no playing history with Sunderland, he does have a unique connection with the club through his friendship with Sunderland chairman and minority owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus. The PSG star has been spotted attending matches at the Stadium of Light and shares ownership of Marseille with Louis-Dreyfus, who is of the same age as Dembele.
Despite the unconventional congratulatory gesture from Sunderland, the team has been performing well in the Premier League following their promotion from the Championship, securing two wins and two draws in their first five matches of the season. It remains to be seen if Dembele continues to keep an eye on Sunderland’s progress in the league.
As Dembele gears up to return to action for PSG against Auxerre after winning the Ballon d’Or, Sunderland is set to face Nottingham Forest in their upcoming fixture. The PSG star will also have a notable Champions League encounter against his former club, Barcelona, adding further anticipation to the football calendar for both Dembele and Sunderland.
