Luis de la Fuente named best men's coach of the year at the Balón de Oro

The award and the speech

Luis de la Fuente was named best men's coach of the year at the Balón de Oro gala, held at the London Palladium Theatre on Monday, 26 October. Four of the five nominees were Spanish, with Luis Enrique, Mikel Arteta and Unai Emery sharing the list with him, while the Belgian Kompany completed it. The 65-year-old, born in Haro, won after leading Spain to the 2026 World Cup title, following its 2023 Nations League and 2024 European Championship wins. He apologised for his English before thanking the RFEF, its president, his family and his coaching staff, whom he called the best in the world. He ended his speech by citing the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, saying:

“Individual success makes you visible, collective success makes you invincible.”

At the same gala, goalkeeper Unai Simón of Athletic Club received the Yashin Trophy for the tournament and thanked De la Fuente for his trust.

A World Cup final and a long unbeaten run

Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in the final on 19 July in the United States, claiming its second World Cup. The team did not lose a match at the tournament and conceded only one goal. Reports describe its unbeaten run differently: one counts 43 official matches, another 42, and a third says the win over Argentina extended a streak of 38 games without defeat, the longest of any men's national side. Spain is now ranked first in the FIFA rankings. In his speech De la Fuente presented the award as shared rather than personal, saying:

“The secret is having a group that puts the collective good ahead of the individual.”

From the Alavés sacking to the national team

De la Fuente's route to the job was far from smooth. Alavés dismissed him in the autumn of 2012, early in the season, and weeks of uncertainty followed while he waited for another offer. He spent five or six months watching training sessions of Marcelo Bielsa's Athletic at Lezama, and he kept recordings of all of them. He was talking on the eve of a match against Bielsa, then coaching Uruguay, and that match cost Bielsa his post a few weeks later. He joined the RFEF 14 years ago after answering a job advertisement, and he took charge of Spain in December 2022.

Public demand after the World Cup

A source at the RFEF says the federation now receives 10 to 12 requests a day for his public appearances, and another source suggests he could attend two or three events a day over the coming year. A source at his agency Gersh says that walking with him in the street, already difficult before the tournament, has become impossible. A short visit to a dentist's office in central Madrid ended with him signing autographs and taking dozens of selfies.

Contract and next tournament

De la Fuente's contract, renewed until 2028, keeps him in charge for the next major tournament, the European Championship that the United Kingdom and Ireland will host in June 2028. Asked about his career, with RFEF president Rafael Louzán present, he said:

“I am happy. The journey was worth it, and so was all that hard work.”

He said he had been helped by people who taught him a great deal along the way.