Ballon d'Or 2026: Every Coach of the Year Contender Revealed — Who Will Claim the Crown?

France Football has revealed the complete list of nominees for the 2026 Coach of the Year award, with managers from both men's and women's football competing for the sport's most prestigious coaching honor.

Introduced in 2024, the accolade bears the name of iconic figure Johan Cruyff and celebrates coaches whose exceptional tactical vision delivered the greatest achievements during the previous campaign. Carlo Ancelotti claimed the inaugural prize, while Paris Saint-Germain's Luis Enrique took the honor in 2025.

Enrique returns to the nominee list in 2026 following his achievement of guiding PSG to back-to-back Champions League titles, making them only the second club in the post-European Cup era to claim the competition in successive seasons.

Much like the Club of the Year category, the shortlist includes the manager of the side that faced PSG in the European final. That defeat was the sole setback in an otherwise remarkable season for Arsenal's Mikel Arteta, who delivered Premier League glory to the club for the first time in 22 years.

Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente placed third in the 2024 standings after leading his nation to European Championship glory that summer. With La Roja claiming World Cup success this year, De la Fuente's inclusion on the shortlist is hardly a surprise.

Aston Villa's Unai Emery also earns a place on the list. The Villans claimed Europa League glory last season while punching above their weight in the Premier League, securing a fourth-place finish and a Champions League berth.

Rounding out the nominees, Bayern Munich's Vincent Kompany is seeking his first taste of the award after masterminding an outstanding season with the German club that culminated in a commanding Bundesliga championship. He stands as the sole non-Spaniard among the men's nominees.

The Women's Coach of the Year award will be presented for the third time next month, with a new winner set to be crowned following Emma Hayes's victory in 2024 and Sarina Wiegman's win in 2025.

OL Lyonnes coach Jonatan Giráldez faces competition from Manchester City's Andrée Jeglertz, former Japan head coach Nils Nielsen, Barcelona's Pere Romeu, and current BK Häcken manager Elena Sadiku, who started the season at Celtic before guiding the Swedish club to Europa Cup triumph.

2026 Men's Coach of the Year Award Nominees in Full

2026 Women's Coach of the Year Award Nominees in Full