The nominated names for the 2026 Ballon d’Or Men’s Coach of the Year are out. Four of the five nominees are from Spain this year. The candidates for the Johan Cruyff Trophy are Luis Enrique, Luis de la Fuente, Mikel Arteta, Unai Emery and Vincent Kompany. With a career as a coach at Paris Saint-Germain, Enrique fulfilled his coaching commitments by winning the Champions League and Ligue 1. With Gunners’ Arteta helped them claim the Premier League title for the first time in 22 years and guided them to the final of the Champions League. Therefore, his name appeared on the list of nominees for the award.
De la Fuente is on the list for guiding Spain to qualification for the 2026 World Cup while Emery receives his nomination for Aston Villa winning the Europa league and finish in 4th position in the table and also becoming one of only two Premier League teams to end a 20+ year run without winning any trophy in years for the Villains with that win. Kompany is the only non-Spanish coach in the selection after leading Bayern Munich to a domestic treble that includes winning the Bundesliga, the German Cup, the German Super cup, as they are on the fight to get back at having an undefeated season. Four of the five selected are on the list to win the Johan Cruyff trophy which will see Enrique looking to maintain the award which he won last season. The Ballon d’Or ceremony for winner announcement would take place in London on the 26th of October.
Explained: Ballon d’Or’s Johan Cruyff Trophy’s significance
The Johan Cruyff Trophy is the Ballon d’Or award for the best coach at club or international level. It was introduced in 2024 and is named after Johan Cruyff, one of football’s most influential figures. The award recognises the work coaches do behind the scenes, from building a team and setting tactics to managing players and delivering results. The winner is chosen by the same jury that votes for the men’s Ballon d’Or.
The trophy also carries Cruyff’s name for a reason. As a player and coach, he had a huge influence on how modern football is played, particularly through his work at Barcelona. The award is therefore not just about the number of trophies a coach wins, but also about the impact they have on their team. Carlos Ancelloti won the first men’s Johan Cruyff Trophy in 2024, while Luis Enrique won it in 2025 after leading PSG to a highly successful season.
