The complete shortlist for the 2026 Ballon d'Or Best Coach has been announced.

2026 Best Coach Shortlist:

Mikel Arteta (Arsenal)

Luis de la Fuente (Spain)

Unai Emery (Aston Villa)

Vincent Kompany (Bayern Munich)

Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)

Mikel Arteta

Mikel has overseen year-on-year improvement over seven years at the Emirates to the point where the Gunners ruled the roost last term, winning the Premier League and reaching the finals of the Champions League and League Cup.

Luis de la Fuente

Luis was nominated in 2024 after winning the Euros. His is nominated again here after going one better and conquering the world this summer. La Roja conceded only once in 12 and a half hours of World Cup football in the Americas. That doesn’t just happen from possessing exceptional defenders. That’s a managerial master at work.

Unai Emery

Unai guided Aston Villa to a highly respectable fourth last season and then trumped even that by winning the Europa League, the club’s first major honour for three decades.

Vincent Kompany

Nobody questioned the Belgian’s managerial credentials when he moved to Bayern, but taking on such a behemoth was still undoubtedly a test of those credentials. He has passed with flying colours. Bayern are entertaining to watch but have retained their winning formula, attaining a Bundesliga title in 2025/26 and DFB-Pokal success. A classy defender in his day, and now a classy touchline technician.

Luis Enrique

Luis replicated the huge success of 2024/25 with PSG by topping Ligue 1 and retaining the Champions League.

Four Spaniards, one Belgian. Meet the five nominees for the 2026 Coach of the Year Trophy, men's category.