FIFA World Cup winner Fuente and Arsenal’s Arteta nominated for Johan Cruyff Trophy

The nominees for the 2026 Johan Cruyff Trophy, awarded to the best coaches of the season in men’s and women’s football, include FIFA World Cup-winning coach Luis de la Fuente and Premier League-winning Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.

The Ballon d’Or organisers announced the nominees on September 8. The award ceremony will be held in London on October 26. The Johan Cruyff Trophy was introduced in 2024 as part of the Ballon d’Or event.

For the men’s category, the nominees are Mikel Arteta (Arsenal), Luis de la Fuente (Spain national team), Unai Emery (Aston Villa), Vincent Kompany (Bayern Munich), and Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain).

De la Fuente led Spain to their second FIFA World Cup title in July 2026, their first since 2010, with a 1-0 victory over Argentina in the final held in New Jersey. Arteta guided Arsenal to their first Premier League title in 22 years, finishing the season with 26 wins, seven draws and five losses, earning 85 points. He also led Arsenal to a runners-up finish in the UEFA Champions League, losing to PSG.

Emery secured UEFA Champions League qualification with Aston Villa by achieving a fourth-place finish in the Premier League, and also led the club to victory in the UEFA Europa League, beating SC Freiburg in the final in May 2026.

Kompany, who has managed Bayern Munich since 2024, won a domestic treble in the previous season, including the Bundesliga, German Cup and German Super Cup. Enrique enhanced PSG’s achievements by leading the club to consecutive UEFA Champions League victories, along with wins in Ligue 1, the French Super Cup, the FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2025, and their second UEFA Super Cup title after defeating Aston Villa 2-1 in August 2026.

In the women’s category, nominees include Jonatan Giraldez, who guided Spain’s OL Lyon to the French Championship, French Cup and French League Cup; Andree Jeglertz, who led Manchester City to the Women’s Super League 2025-26 and FA Cup titles; Nils Nielsen, head coach of Japan’s women’s national team, who won the AFC Women’s Asian Cup this year; Pere Romeu, who managed FC Barcelona to the Champions League, Liga, Spanish Cup and Spanish Super Cup; and Elena Sadiku, BK Hacken FF’s coach, leading them to victory in the UEFA Women’s Europa Cup this season.