Luis de la Fuente was awarded the Johan Cruyff Trophy as Best Men's Coach of the year 2026 during the Ballon d'Or Gala held in London. The award, which recognizes excellence in technical direction, was awarded to the Spanish coach after the historic conquest of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, where La Roja were crowned champions after beating Argentina 1-0 in the final.
The announcement came after a vote that included other big names in world football, including Paris Saint-Germain's Luis Enrique, Arsenal's Mikel Arteta, Aston Villa's Unai Emery and Bayern Munich's Vincent Kompany. De la Fuente overtook Luis Enrique, who was also considered a favorite thanks to his second Champions League title with PSG. The coach of the Royal Spanish Federation stressed that the award is not an individual recognition, but a tribute to the team he leads: "I have the best coaching staff in the world and I want to thank the Royal Spanish Football Federation, our president, our sports director, all the RFEF workers, my agency and my family. Those who are there and those who are not," he commented upon receiving the trophy.
The success of the Spanish team in 2026 was not a surprise. La Roja reached the second World Cup in its history on July 19, after an impeccable campaign that culminated in an undefeated victory and with only one goal conceded in the entire tournament. This achievement follows the path of Euro 2024, where the team was also crowned champion, although on that occasion the title of Best Men's Coach was in the hands of Carlo Ancelotti, with Xabi Alonso and Luis Enrique as finalists.
The 2026 award adds to the record of Luis de la Fuente, who had already been recognized in 2024 as one of the best coaches in the world. At the gala, the Spanish coach also shared a reflection inspired by Marco Aurelio: “Individual success makes us visible; the collective, invincible,” he concluded, underlining the importance of teamwork.
With the title of Best Coach of the year, Luis de la Fuente consolidates his reputation as one of the most outstanding leaders in contemporary football. The next step will be to maintain the competitiveness of the Spanish team in the upcoming international competitions, while the coaching staff works to continue consolidating the style of play that has led La Roja to world glory.