France Football has revealed the nominees for the Men’s Coach of the Year award for 2026, highlighted by a striking Spanish dominance as four coaches from Spain earned spots on the final shortlist.
The five-man shortlist features Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, Spain national team head coach Luis de la Fuente, Aston Villa manager Unai Emery, Bayern Munich head coach Vincent Kompany, and Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique.
Arteta’s nomination stems from guiding Arsenal to their first Premier League title since 2004 alongside reaching the UEFA Champions League final, leading his team to 44 victories, 12 draws, and 7 defeats across the season.
Meanwhile, De la Fuente enters the race as a top favorite after guiding Spain to their second FIFA World Cup title in history following a 1–0 victory over Argentina in the final; La Roja ended the campaign undefeated with 14 wins, 4 draws, and just a single goal conceded.
Emery reinforced his reputation as the “King of the Europa League” by guiding Aston Villa to the trophy, capturing the tournament for the fifth time in his managerial career while logging 33 victories, 9 draws, and 14 defeats across all competitions.
Kompany stands as the lone non-Spanish representative on the shortlist following a dominant debut campaign with Bayern Munich, securing a domestic treble (Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, and DFL-Supercup) alongside reaching the Champions League semi-finals with 46 wins in 55 matches.
Luis Enrique is aiming to retain the trophy after leading Paris Saint-Germain to a five-trophy haul: a second consecutive Champions League title, Ligue 1, the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, and the Trophée des Champions.
The award covers the period from August 3, 2025, to July 19, 2026, evaluating overall team performance, trophies, leadership, tactical brilliance, youth development, exceeding expectations, and fair play.
Each journalist on the Ballon d’Or panel will select two coaches (awarded 2 points and 1 point respectively), with the winner set to be announced during the ceremony at the London Palladium on October 26, 2026.
