De la Fuente, Vozinha headline 2026 Ballon d’Or award nominees

The shortlist for the 2026 Ballon d’Or Coach of the Year has been announced, with five managers recognised for outstanding achievements at club and international level during the past season.

The nominees are Mikel Arteta of Arsenal, Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente, Aston Villa manager Unai Emery, Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany and Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique.

The 2026 awards ceremony is scheduled for October 26 in London.

Arteta’s nomination comes after another landmark campaign with Arsenal.

The Spaniard has overseen the club’s steady development since taking charge, culminating in a season in which the Gunners won the Premier League while also reaching the finals of the Champions League and League Cup.

De la Fuente, meanwhile, earns another nomination after previously being shortlisted in 2024 following Spain’s European Championship triumph.

His latest achievement is even greater, having guided Spain to World Cup glory in the Americas.

Spain’s defensive record during the tournament further strengthened his case.

Emery also enjoyed a memorable campaign with Aston Villa.

After leading the club to a fourth-place Premier League finish, he guided Villa to Europa League success, securing the club’s first major European honour in three decades.

Kompany’s first major season at Bayern Munich has also earned recognition.

The former Belgium international helped the German giants secure the Bundesliga title and DFB-Pokal, combining an attacking style with the winning culture expected at the Bavarian club.

Enrique completes the shortlist after continuing his remarkable spell at PSG.

He guided the French champions to another Ligue 1 title and retained the Champions League, underlining his influence on one of Europe’s strongest sides.

The Coach of the Year awards were introduced to the Ballon d’Or programme in 2024, when UEFA and Groupe Amaury, the owner of France Football and L’Équipe, began jointly organising the ceremony.

The awards recognise coaches from both club and international football, with voting based on factors including team performances, trophies, tactical ability, leadership, player development and achievement beyond reasonable expectations.

• Goalkeepers compete for Yashin Trophy

The 2026 Men’s Yashin Trophy shortlist features 10 goalkeepers, including Thibaut Courtois, David Raya, Unai Simón and Cape Verde’s Vozinha.

The other nominees are Yassine Bounou, Gregor Kobel, Joan García, Emiliano Martínez, Édouard Mendy and Matvei Safonov.

The Yashin Trophy is the Ballon d’Or award for the world’s best goalkeeper.

It is named after Lev Yashin, the legendary Soviet goalkeeper who won the Ballon d’Or in 1963—the only goalkeeper ever to receive the men’s Ballon d'Or.

The Yashin Trophy itself was introduced in 2019.

Since then, winners have included Alisson, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Emiliano Martínez and Thibaut Courtois.

Donnarumma won the award in 2025 for the second time after previously claiming it in 2021.

The Ballon d’Or itself dates back to 1956, when England’s Stanley Matthews became the first winner.

Over the decades, it has been won by football legends including Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who holds the record with eight titles.

Ousmane Dembélé is the reigning men’s Ballon d’Or holder after winning the 2025 award.