Spain national team coach Luis de la Fuente has been named the best men’s football coach in the world, receiving the Johan Cruyff Trophy to cap off a historic era for La Roja that culminated in a World Cup victory and secured the second star on the nation’s crest.
The Recognition in Paris
De la Fuente collected the award from fellow Spanish coach Rafa Benítez during a ceremony dominated by Spanish representation. The national team manager topped a shortlist that featured Luis Enrique—who captured the Champions League for a second season—Mikel Arteta, Unai Emery, and Vincent Kompany.
“This award for me is a real honor, and I want to congratulate the rest of the nominees because they have done more than enough to be here,” de la Fuente said during his acceptance speech. “It is not an individual award, but a collective one, for a wonderful group of players, some of whom are here, and for a fantastic coaching staff.”
Building Through the Ranks
The award crowns a methodical journey for the coach from Haro, who built his credentials working up through Spain’s youth national categories before taking over the senior side. Reflecting on the honor, de la Fuente dedicated the achievement to his family, encompassing both “those who are and those who are not,” and added that he views the milestone not as a final destination, but as motivation to keep developing.
In the women’s coaching category, Pere Romeu claimed the trophy following a dominant season at the helm of Barcelona. Romeu took over in 2024 after serving as an assistant to Jonatan Giráldez, subsequently leading the club to its fourth Champions League title alongside a domestic sweep of Liga F, the Copa de la Reina, and the Supercopa.
A Sweep of Individual Honors for Spanish Football
Spain’s representation extended across several categories at the gala. Lamine Yamal retained the Kopa Trophy as the world’s best under-21 player, having previously won the award in both 2024 and 2025. The Barcelona player received the prize from 2004 Ballon d’Or winner Andriy Shevchenko and used his speech to highlight teammate Pau Cubarsí as a deserving candidate.
In the women’s young player category, Barcelona’s Vicky López also retained her award for the second year. Meanwhile, Athletic Club goalkeeper Unai Simón captured the Yashin Trophy following a World Cup campaign in which he conceded just a single goal across eight matches, set a tournament imbatibilidad record of 650 minutes, and earned selection as the competition’s top goalkeeper.
“It would be impossible to collect this without the help of many people,” Simón said. “My parents, my girlfriend, my childhood friends, they make me understand that many of us in this room are privileged. To my coaches and all my teammates in the national team and Athletic, a club that has given me everything.”
Cata Coll completed the Spanish sweep by winning the women’s goalkeeper recognition, presented by Peter Schmeichel after securing every major club honor with Barcelona—named the best women’s club—and capturing the Nations League title with Spain in 2025.
Looking Ahead to the Next International Window
With the individual accolades distributed, attention across Spanish football returns to domestic fixtures and upcoming international qualifying calendars. The national team coaching staff and club managers resume their respective league campaigns as domestic schedules enter their winter phases.
