Spain’s De la Fuente wins 2026 Ballon d’Or men’s coach of the Year

Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has been named Men’s Coach of the Year at the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony, following his side’s triumph at the 2026 FIFA World Cup

The announcement was made on Monday during the ongoing 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony at the London Palladium in England De la Fuente beat Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique, Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany and Aston Villa manager Unai Emery to claim the award.

Former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez presented the prize, but the announcement was briefly disrupted by a mix-up over the winner’s name on the card. Benitez eventually declared De la Fuente the winner.

The Spanish coach exchanged handshakes with Emery and Spain international Lamine Yamal before stepping onto the stage to receive the award. The recognition further adds to De la Fuente’s achievements with Spain following the national team’s World Cup success.