Ballon d'Or: Luis de La Fuente beats Arteta, Enrique to Best Coach prize

Spain national team manager Luis de la Fuente has officially been awarded the Johan Cruyff Trophy as the Men's Coach of the Year at the 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony.

The prestigious event took place at the London Palladium on Monday, October 26, cementing De la Fuente's status as the premier tactician in world football.

The veteran manager earned the coaching accolade following an extraordinary calendar year that culminated in securing Spain's second FIFA World Cup title.

De la Fuente's recognition is a direct result of masterminding a completely dominant 2026 World Cup campaign across North America.

La Roja navigated the expanded tournament with a flawless record, remaining entirely unbeaten across their eight fixtures.

The foundation of their success was an impenetrable defensive structure that conceded a staggering single goal throughout the entire tournament.

That lone concession occurred against Belgium in the quarter-finals, before De la Fuente's side registered consecutive shutouts when it mattered most.

Spain eliminated France in the semi-finals before engaging in a grueling final against defending champions Argentina, ultimately securing the trophy with a 1-0 victory after extra time.

The World Cup triumph adds to a remarkable senior international resume that already included the 2023 UEFA Nations League and the UEFA Euro 2024 crown, where they defeated England 2-1 in Berlin.

The voting results for the Johan Cruyff Trophy served as a powerful testament to the current dominance of Spanish coaching across European football.

De la Fuente topped an elite five-man shortlist that remarkably featured four tacticians hailing from Spain.

He beat out Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, who secured the 2025/26 Premier League title, and Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique, who captured the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League.

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery, who won the 2025/26 UEFA Europa League, also featured heavily in the voting.

Belgian manager Vincent Kompany of Bayern Munich was the sole non-Spanish nominee on the elite list following his 2025/26 Bundesliga success.