Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has won the 2026 Men’s Coach of the Year award at the Ballon d’Or ceremony, receiving the honour for the first time in his career.
The announcement at the London Palladium crowned a season in which he guided La Roja back to World Cup glory, extending an exceptional period of success in international football.
De la Fuente led Spain to their second world title after a 1-0 victory over Argentina in the final on July 19. Ferran Torres settled the match in extra time, returning Spain to the summit following their first triumph in 2010.
Spain completed the tournament unbeaten, scoring 14 goals and conceding just once, combining attacking quality with defensive solidity throughout their title-winning campaign.
De la Fuente prevailed over four other nominees: Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique, Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta, Aston Villa’s Unai Emery and Bayern Munich’s Vincent Kompany.
The Spaniard succeeds compatriot Luis Enrique, the 2025 winner, becoming the third recipient of the award. Carlo Ancelotti won the inaugural edition in 2024 while managing Real Madrid.
Since taking charge of Spain’s senior side in December 2022, De la Fuente has won the 2023 UEFA Nations League, EURO 2024 and the 2026 World Cup. He also became the oldest coach to win the World Cup, aged 65 years and 28 days on the day of the final.
