Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has won the Men’s Coach of the Year award at the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony, beating Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta and Paris Saint-Germain’s Luis Enrique to the prestigious honour.
De la Fuente emerged ahead of a strong field that also included Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany and Aston Villa boss Unai Emery.
The award recognises the Spaniard’s achievements in charge of the national team and adds to his growing reputation in international football.
Former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez presented the award at the ceremony.
However, the announcement was briefly disrupted by an unexpected mix-up involving the winner’s name on the award card.
Benitez eventually announced De la Fuente as the winner, prompting the Spanish coach to exchange handshakes with Emery and Spain international Lamine Yamal before walking to the stage.
De la Fuente’s recognition comes amid Spain’s reported triumph at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, further strengthening his standing among the leading managers in world football.
The award places him ahead of several high-profile coaches who have made significant impacts at club level, including Arteta, whose Arsenal side have competed among Europe’s elite, and Enrique, who has led PSG.
Kompany and Emery were also among the nominees for the individual honour.
The ceremony also celebrated other outstanding performers in football, with Yamal winning the Kopa Trophy for the third consecutive time, according to reports from the event.
Never miss a moment! Get the stories shaping Nigeria, delivered straight to your phone. Follow Peoplesdaily Newspaper on WhatsApp for breaking news, exclusive reports, and the headlines everyone will be talking about, before anyone else.
