De la Fuente wins men’s Ballon d’Or coach of year

On Monday, Spanish national team coach Luis de la Fuente was awarded the Men's Coach of the Year title at the 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony in London. De la Fuente led Spain to World Cup victory, a testament to the power of teamwork. He praised the generosity of the players who put their team's success above all else. De la Fuente highlighted Spain's exceptional talent pool, consisting of the world's best players, making him a fortunate coach.

At 65 years old, de la Fuente stands out as a technical coach who climbed the ranks in Spain's national coaching system. After a solid playing career, he took a break from club coaching and applied for a youth team coaching position in 2013. After 13 years, some of the players from his under-19s squad were part of the teams he led to triumph in the Nations League, Euro 2024, and the World Cup.

De la Fuente had declared himself confident in Spain's squad, even amid a goalless draw against Cape Verde, their World Cup debutants. They gained momentum with each match and defeated France 2-0 in the semi-final. In the final against Lionel Messi's Argentina, de la Fuente's team maintained their composure against France's aggressive tactics and scored the winning goal with Ferran Torres, clinching a 1-0 victory.

The women's award for coach of the year went to Barcelona's Pere Romeu for leading his team to a season filled with Spanish league, cup, Super Cup, and Champions League victories.