Luis de la Fuente named 2026 Ballon d’Or World Coach of the Year

Luis de la Fuente has been named the world’s best coach for 2026 at the Ballon d’Or awards ceremony.

The Spain manager won the prize for the first time in his career after leading the national team to the 2026 World Cup title, Spain’s second triumph in the competition.

De la Fuente was chosen ahead of Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany and Aston Villa manager Unai Emery.

The award was presented by Rafael Benitez, the former Valencia, Real Madrid and Liverpool manager.

The world coach of the year award was first introduced in 2024, when Carlo Ancelotti became its inaugural winner.

De la Fuente is the second Spanish coach to receive the honour, following Luis Enrique’s success last year.

The Ballon d’Or ceremony is currently taking place, with the awards recognising the leading performers and coaches of 2026.