Spain manager Luis de la Fuente won the ‘Men’s Coach of the Year’ award on Monday at the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony at the London Palladium, England.
De la Fuente’s award followed his guidance of the Spanish national team to defeat Lionel Messi’s Argentina 1-0 at the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, jointly hosted in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Former Real Madrid coach Rafa Benitez presented him with the award.
The 65-year-old, in his acceptance speech, said, “It is a real honour for me to receive this prize. Being among these nominees is something very special.
“This prize is not an individual prize. This is for a whole team, a great team. The secret is really working with footballers that are very generous and work in solidarity and put their team above their individual selves.”
De la Fuente beat nominees Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique, Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany, and Aston Villa manager Unai Emery.