{
  "id": 16670755,
  "title": "De la Fuente wins men's Ballon d'Or coach of year",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/26/de-la-fuente-wins-mens-ballon-dor-coach-of-year",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-26T22:07:40.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/sports/football/2026/10/1564281/de-la-fuente-wins-mens-ballon-dor-coach-year"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Luis de la Fuente secured the Ballon d'Or award for men's coach of the year on Monday, following Spain's triumph in the World Cup. The 65-year-old coach emphasized the importance of teamwork, stating that \"teamwork makes us invincible.\" De la Fuente highlighted the exceptional talent at his disposal, noting that \"we've got such an amazing pool of talent, the best in the world.\" Reflecting on his career, which began as a player before transitioning to coaching, the coach acknowledged the pivotal moment that led him to Spain's Under-19s team in 2013. Over the subsequent 13 years, his teams went on to win the Nations League, Euro 2024, and the World Cup. De la Fuente confidently declared, \"This is recognition for a job very well done over many years.\" Despite a goalless draw against Cape Verde in their opening match, Spain's momentum grew with each subsequent game. In the final against Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, de la Fuente's team maintained composure despite Argentina's aggressive tactics, with Ferran Torres scoring the decisive goal. The women's coaching award was also presented to Pere Romeu of Barcelona for guiding the team to a perfect season, including victories in the Spanish league, cup, Super Cup, and Champions League.",
  "summary": "LONDON: Luis de la Fuente won the Ballon d’Or for men’s coach of the year on Monday after leading Spain to World Cup glory.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 9,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Ballon d'Or 2026 live updates: Winners, rankings, final awards results as Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe battle it out",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/26/ballon-dor-2026-live-updates-winners-rankings-final-awards-results-as",
        "published": "2026-10-26T20:30:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "De la Fuente wins men’s Ballon d’Or coach of year",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/26/de-la-fuente-wins-mens-ballon-dor-coach-of-year-16671226",
        "published": "2026-10-26T21:58:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Punch Nigeria",
        "title": "2026 Ballon d’Or: Yamal wins Young Talent award for third straight year",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/26/2026-ballon-dor-yamal-wins-young-talent-award-for-third-straight-year",
        "published": "2026-10-26T22:14:51.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "3News",
        "title": "Harry Kane wins 2026 Ballon d’Or",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/26/harry-kane-wins-2026-ballon-dor",
        "published": "2026-10-26T22:54:54.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Colombia One",
        "title": "Harry Kane Wins the 2026 Ballon d’Or",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/26/harry-kane-wins-the-2026-ballon-dor",
        "published": "2026-10-26T23:10:11.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Gulf News",
        "title": "Harry Kane wins 2026 Ballon d'Or, ends England's 25-year wait",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/26/harry-kane-wins-2026-ballon-dor-ends-englands-25-year-wait",
        "published": "2026-10-26T23:12:08.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Sydney Morning Herald",
        "title": "England captain wins the Ballon d'Or",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/27/england-captain-wins-the-ballon-dor",
        "published": "2026-10-27T00:17:02.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Age",
        "title": "England captain wins the Ballon d'Or",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/27/england-captain-wins-the-ballon-dor-16683303",
        "published": "2026-10-27T00:17:02.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}