Ballon d’Or: Four Spanish coaches among nominees for world’s best manager award

France Football has announced the five nominees for the Ballon d’Or award for the world’s best manager, with four Spanish coaches included on the shortlist.

The nominees are Spain manager Luis de la Fuente, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique, Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery and Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany.

The award will be presented at the annual Ballon d’Or ceremony, which recognises the best performers and coaches in world football.

De la Fuente leads the list after guiding Spain to victory at the 2026 World Cup. His inclusion reflects the importance of the national team’s success on the global stage, with Spain’s manager now in contention for one of the most prominent individual coaching prizes.

He faces competition from fellow Spaniard Arteta, who is nominated after leading Arsenal to the English Premier League title.

Luis Enrique, another Spanish contender, is also recognised following Paris Saint-Germain’s triumph in the UEFA Champions League. His success in Europe places him among the leading candidates for the award alongside De la Fuente and Arteta.

The other Spanish nominee is Emery, who has been shortlisted after helping Aston Villa win the UEFA Europa League.

Kompany is the only non-Spanish coach on the list. The Belgian is nominated after taking Bayern Munich to the Bundesliga title.

The five-man shortlist therefore includes four managers from Spain and one from Belgium, with each nominee having been recognised for a major achievement with either a national team or club.

The announcement comes as part of the build-up to the Ballon d’Or ceremony, where the award winners across the different categories will be revealed. France Football’s selection places particular emphasis on the achievements of the nominated coaches during the period under consideration.

De la Fuente’s World Cup success, Arteta’s Premier League title, Luis Enrique’s Champions League triumph, Emery’s Europa League victory and Kompany’s Bundesliga title provide the basis for their nominations.

The shortlist follows the announcement of other Ballon d’Or-related candidates, including the nominees for the award recognising the world’s best team.

With five managers competing for the honour, the award will be decided between a group whose achievements span international football and the leading domestic and European club competitions. Four of the candidates are Spanish, while Kompany represents Belgium after Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga-winning campaign.