Ousmane Dembele, Winchester City and the Ballon d'Or

You are probably wondering where on earth this is going.

But, these three entities are in fact intertwined by a virtual fairytale that has become quite a real relationship between one of the world's biggest football stars and a humble non-league club in Hampshire.

The thread that stitches this story together is the popular computer game Football Manager, in which Ousmane Dembele digitally took Winchester City on a journey right to the top of the English game while representing France at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

In a video posted by the France national team, external on social media during the tournament, Dembele is seen sat on a plane with France team-mate Antoine Griezmann as they joke about bringing the World Cup to Winchester.