Published 2 hours ago • loading... • Updated 32 minutes ago
Ballon d'Or 2026 live updates: Winners, rankings, final awards results as Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe battle it out
Luis de la Fuente won Men’s Coach of the Year after leading Spain to a World Cup title and an unbeaten run with just one goal conceded, officials said.
On Monday, Spain national team head coach Luis de la Fuente won the Men's Coach of the Year award at the Ballon d'Or ceremony in London, becoming the first national team manager to receive the Johan Cruyff Trophy.
De la Fuente's recognition follows Spain's unbeaten 2026 World Cup campaign in North America, where the team conceded just one goal across eight matches and defeated Argentina 1-0 in the final at MetLife Stadium.
"Teamwork makes us invincible. This is a great honour," de la Fuente said after collecting the award, emphasizing his philosophy of prioritizing collective spirit over individual accolades.
Barcelona Femení coach Pere Romeu received the Women's Coach of the Year award, while Lamine Yamal secured the Young Talent of the Year trophy for the third consecutive time.
The 65-year-old de la Fuente stands out as a technician who built his reputation by climbing through Spain's national coaching ranks since applying for a youth team role in 2013.
The Spanish coach made it clear that this award "is not individual": "I understand it as a prize from a collective, from a great team, from a few players; it is an honor to train you"
Spain and FC Barcelona made their hand on all the first awards distributed at the Ballon d'Or 2026 ceremony, including the title of Best Coach with Luis de la Fuente and Best Younger with Lamine Yamal.