Ousmane Dembele unwittingly implicated in bizarre 'confidential' PR campaign to promote Ballon d'Or hopes as company blames 18-year-old intern for offer to journalist

PSG star Dembele has been unwittingly embroiled in a bizarre public relations controversy after a freelance journalist exposed a secret, paid offer to promote his Ballon d'Or candidacy online. According to an investigation byThe Athletic, sports writer Neal Gardner received an email with the subject "Confidential Collaboration Opportunity" from a creative agency, proposing a month-long campaign of "carefully crafted tweets" to "strengthen the narrative" around the French forward.

After Gardner made the approach public on social media, the company was identified as India-based marketing agency Bangrr International. The firm's founder, Ali Husain, has since blamed the incident on an "unsolicited inquiry sent by a young intern" acting without authority. In a statement, Husain claimed the 18-year-old intern sent the email out of "educational curiosity" to research influencer rates and apologised to both Gardner and Dembele for the "misunderstanding."

The player has been completely distanced from the strange affair. When contacted for comment, Dembele's representatives emphatically denied having any knowledge of or involvement in the proposed social media campaign. Gardner himself stated he did not know who was funding the initiative before he chose to make the offer public to "raise awareness" of what he called a "ridiculous" situation.

The entire premise of the campaign is shrouded in bizarre logic and flawed timing. The agency reportedly targeted Gardner, a known Barcelona fan, believing his pro-Dembele tweets would carry more weight. However, the most significant flaw is that the voting for the 2025 Ballon d'Or has already closed. The winner is set to be announced at the official awards ceremony in Paris next Monday, September 22, making the proposed month-long campaign entirely redundant.

Despite the unwanted distraction, Dembele remains the overwhelming favourite to win his first Ballon d'Or after being named the Champions League's outstanding player during PSG's triumphant 2024-25 season. The incident has cast a light on the shadowy world of PR lobbying for football's most prestigious individual awards. While the agency has pledged to improve its internal protocols, the focus now shifts to the official ceremony in Paris, where the Frenchman is widely expected to be crowned the world's best player.