Spain nationwide crew supervisor Luis de la Fuente has gained the Men’s Coach of the Year award on the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony.
De la Fuente emerged victorious forward of fellow nominees Mikel Arteta of Arsenal, Luis Enrique of Paris Saint-Germain, Vincent Kompany of Bayern Munich and Unai Emery of Aston Villa.
Former Liverpool supervisor Rafa Benitez introduced the award, though the announcement was briefly interrupted by an surprising mix-up involving the winner’s title on the cardboard.
Benitez ultimately introduced De la Fuente because the winner, prompting the Spanish coach to shake arms with Emery and Spain worldwide Lamine Yamal earlier than making his technique to the stage.
The award provides to De la Fuente’s achievements as supervisor of the Spanish nationwide crew, following Spain’s reported triumph on the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
