Ballon d’Or 2026: Ranking the Favorites to Win Coach of the Year

Five of the world’s elite managers have been included on the shortlist for the 2026 Men’s Coach of the Year award.

The extensive list of 2026 Ballon d’Or nominations was announced on Tuesday as France Football unveiled the players, managers and teams that will be recognized at the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony on Oct. 26.

The field of tacticians nominated for the men’s Coach of the Year award—officially named the Johan Cruyff Award—was also revealed. It will be the third year the award is handed out, with Carlo Ancelotti and Luis Enrique taking home the first two trophies in the category.

Enrique is back in the shortlist this year along with three other Spanish managers. Champions League-winning managers have lifted the two previous Coach of the Year awards, but that trend could easily end this year.

Here’s Sports Illustrated’s ranking of the five Men’s Coach of the Year nominees.

5. Unai Emery

Team: Aston Villa
Titles: Europa League

Unai Emery led Aston Villa to their first major trophy win in 30 years in true Emery fashion: winning the Europa League.

Aston Villa were a cut above the opposition in UEFA’s second-tier competition and the Spanish boss guided his side to glory, lifting the Europa League title for a record-extending fifth time in his career. He’s now won the Europa League with three different clubs.

Emery had already made history at Villa when he steered the club back to the Champions League for the first time since 1982 a season prior. When he ended the club’s trophy drought, he confirmed his status as one of the greatest managers in club history.

Apart from winning the Europa League, Villa also went to-to-toe with the biggest clubs in England to the tune of a fourth-place finish in the Premier League. Despite not boasting the strongest squad, Emery’s side qualified for Champions League soccer without much trouble.

4. Vincent Kompany

Team: Bayern Munich
Titles: Bundesliga, German Cup, German Super Cup

Vincent Kompany’s sophomore season at Bayern Munich saw the Bavarian giants continue their dominance over German soccer, but perhaps even more emphatically than in recent seasons.

Bayern Munich cruised to yet another league title, losing just one match through the entire 34-game season. What’s even more impressive is that Kompany turned his side into a lethal attacking machine, scoring 122 goals in the Bundesliga—that’s 3.5 goals per game.

Kompany’s side were devastating but also effective and could’ve easily won the Champions League had they not narrowly fallen to eventual champions Paris Saint-Germain in an electrifying semifinal tie. Still, the Belgian boss did lead Bayern to end their curse against 15-time winners Real Madrid in the quarterfinals.

Under Kompany, Bayern play an attractive brand of soccer that will surely translate into more success during his time on the touchline.

3. Mikel Arteta

Mikel Arteta celebrating. — Mikel Arteta finally completed his mission of leading Arsenal back to the summit of English soccer. | Jacques Feeney/Offside/Getty Images

Team: Arsenal
Titles: Premier League

Arsenal fans that listened to Mikel Arteta and “trusted the process“ finally got their reward as the Gunners, at last, got over the hump and ended a 22-year wait for a Premier League title.

They were far and away the best team in England and even during a period of adversity, they were resilient and overcame every challenge to win the league title in Arteta’s sixth full season in charge. Arsenal’s style might not have been the most attractive of the Arteta era, but they were a near-flawless side tactically and dictated terms for essentially the entirety of the campaign.

The level of dominance extended to Europe, where Arteta’s Arsenal went the entirety of the Champions League season without losing a single game until the final, topping the league phase and cruising to the final for only the second time in club history.

Winning Arsenal’s first Champions League title wasn’t in the cards, or else Arteta would be higher on this list. The Gunners fell on penalties in the final against PSG, but with results tangibly improving in Europe in recent seasons, perhaps “trusting the process” can now switch gears to finally lifting the Champions League.

2. Luis Enrique

Team: Paris Saint–Germain
Titles: Champions League, Ligue 1, French Super Cup, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Intercontinental Cup

Last year’s winner could feasibly get his hands on the award for a second year in a row, emulating what his team did when they conquered back-to-back Champions League titles. Luis Enrique’s PSG aren’t just the best team in the world currently, they are one of the greatest sides in Europe’s modern era.

Tasked with repeating the level of success enjoyed in 2024–25, Enrique’s PSG once again peaked when it mattered most. The flashy, energetic, dynamic and relentless nature of the Parisians under Enrique didn’t fade, and they became the first team in history not named Real Madrid to conquer Europe in consecutive years during the Champions League era.

Enrique beat two of the other managers on this shortlist en route to the Champions League title. The holders had to deliver against the best of the best in Europe and when it was all said and done, they still came out as monarchs.

Three Champions League titles now rest in Enrique’s trophy cabinet. He’s a living legend and will go down as one of the greatest managers in soccer history.

1. Luis de la Fuente

Team: Spain
Titles: World Cup

Prior to the creation of the Johan Cruyff Award and during the time when FIFA and the Ballon d’Or were intertwined, the Coach of the Year was still recognized. In each of the last three World Cup years, the man in charge of the winning nation has taken home the award.

Luis de la Fuente should be next in line to continue that trend. The leader of Spain’s new era of success had already guided La Roja to win the 2024 Euros and only enhanced his legend this year when he led Spain to its second ever World Cup title.

The manner in which Spain dominated the 2026 World Cup is even more impressive. La Roja conceded only one goal this summer and although it wasn’t as electrifying of a team as the 2024 version, it was unquestionably more dominant, effective and solid overall.

Not once did Spain look overwhelmed during the World Cup. Not once did it look second best to its rivals. De la Fuente’s side utterly erased teams such as Portugal, France and Argentina from the pitch, not conceding a single goal against three of the favorites to win it all.

Spain made winning the World Cup remarkably easy, and it all started with the mastermind on the touchline behind it all. De la Fuente is certainly the favorite to win the Men’s Coach of the Year award at the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony.

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