Who is Luis de la Fuente? Spain’s FIFA World Cup-winning manager wins Men’s Coach of the Year award at Ballon d’Or event
Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente was named Men’s Coach of the Year at the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony in London on Monday, after guiding the national team to the FIFA World Cup title earlier this year. The 65-year-old became the third recipient of the award, succeeding Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique, who won it in 2025.
De la Fuente received the recognition following Spain’s 1-0 victory over Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final in New Jersey on July 19. Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in the 106th minute as Spain secured their second World Cup title, 16 years after their maiden triumph in 2010.
The Spaniard finished ahead of fellow nominees Luis Enrique, Mikel Arteta, Unai Emery and Vincent Kompany to claim the individual honour.
Who is Luis de la Fuente?
Born on 21 June, 1961, in Haro, La Rioja, Spain, Luis de la Fuente Castillo is a former professional footballer who played as a left-back before moving into management.
He began his playing career with Athletic Bilbao, making his first-team debut in 1980. He spent nine seasons with the Basque club across two spells and was part of the side that won consecutive La Liga titles in 1982-83 and 1983-84. He also won the Copa del Rey in 1984.
De la Fuente subsequently represented Sevilla between 1987 and 1991 before returning to Athletic Bilbao. He ended his professional playing career with Deportivo Alavés in 1994.
Unlike several high-profile managers who moved directly into senior club management, De la Fuente built his coaching career through Spanish football’s development system.
From Spain’s youth teams to senior manager
De la Fuente joined the Royal Spanish Football Federation in 2013, taking charge of the country’s Under-19 team. He guided Spain to the UEFA European Under-19 Championship title in 2015 before taking over the Under-21 side.
His success continued in 2019 when Spain defeated Germany 2-1 in the UEFA European Under-21 Championship final. He subsequently coached the Spanish team at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where they won the silver medal after losing 2-1 to Brazil in the final.
In December 2022, De la Fuente was appointed head coach of Spain’s senior men’s national team, replacing Luis Enrique following the country’s exit from the Qatar World Cup.
His first major achievement came in 2023 when Spain defeated Croatia on penalties in the UEFA Nations League final. A year later, he guided the team to the European Championship title in Germany, beating England 2-1 in the final. Spain won all seven matches at Euro 2024 to secure a record fourth continental championship.
World Cup triumph completes historic run
The 2026 FIFA World Cup victory completed a remarkable sequence of major international titles under De la Fuente. Spain defeated Argentina in the final to become world champions for the second time.
The triumph also made De la Fuente the oldest manager to win the men’s FIFA World Cup. Spain’s campaign featured an unbeaten run and just one goal conceded throughout the tournament.
At the Ballon d’Or ceremony, De la Fuente credited his players for the achievement, emphasising the importance of collective effort.
“Teamwork makes us invincible. This is a great honour,” he said after receiving the award.
He also acknowledged the quality of Spain’s squad, saying the players’ willingness to put the team first had contributed to their success.
The award adds another distinction to De la Fuente’s career, which has progressed from coaching Spain’s youth teams to winning the Nations League, European Championship and World Cup with the senior national side.
