Ballon d’Or 2026: Five coaches nominated for Men’s Coach of the Year award

Abdullateef Fowewe

France Football has officially unveiled the shortlist for the 2026 Men’s Coach of the Year award (also known as the Johan Cruyff Trophy) at the Ballon d’Or.

The five nominees are: Luis Enrique of Paris Saint-Germain, Luis de la Fuente, the Spain national team coach, Mikel Arteta of Arsenal, Unai Emery of Aston Villa and Vincent Kompany of Bayern Munich.

The announcement, shared by the official Ballon d’Or account on Tuesday, highlights an exceptionally strong Spanish presence, with four of the five coaches born in Spain.

Only Bayern Munich’s Belgian manager Vincent Kompany breaks the pattern.

The shortlist reflects outstanding achievements across the 2025-26 season and the 2026 World Cup.

De la Fuente guided Spain to their second World Cup title.

Arteta ended Arsenal’s 22-year wait for the Premier League.

Enrique secured back-to-back Champions League crowns with PSG.

Emery delivered Aston Villa their first major European trophy in decades by winning the Europa League.

Kompany oversaw a dominant Bundesliga-winning campaign with Bayern.

The winners will be revealed at the Ballon d’Or ceremony on 26 October in London.

The omission of Barcelona’s Hansi Flick has already sparked debate among fans and observers.