Ballon d’Or Nominations for Head Coach and Club of the Year Revealed

• The nominations for the 2026 Men’s Coach of the Year featured four Spanish coaches among the five contenders
• Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Bodø/Glimt, Flamengo and Paris-SG were named as nominees for the 2026 Men’s Club of the Year
• Mikel Arteta, Luis de la Fuente, Unai Emery, Vincent Kompany and Luis Enrique were nominated for Coach of the Year

Spanish Coaches Dominate the Men’s Coach of the Year Race

The nominees for the prestigious Best Coach award for the past season, which forms part of the Ballon d’Or ceremony organised by France Football magazine, have been confirmed. The standout theme is the dominance of Spanish coaching, with four of the five nominees coming from Spain.

🚨 𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟: The 5 nominees for Head Coach of the Year 🏆

🇪🇸 Mikel Arteta — Arsenal
🇪🇸 Luis de la Fuente — Spain National Team
🇪🇸 Unai Emery — Aston Villa
🇧🇪 Vincent Kompany — Bayern Munich
🇪🇸 Luis Enrique — Paris Saint-Germain

4 out of 5 are Spanish. pic.twitter.com/7f7chzVBbS

— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Footballtweet) September 8, 2026

Nominated for the 2026 Men’s Coach of the Year:

Luis Enrique, last year’s winner of the poll, is again among the contenders after guiding Paris Saint-Germain to another Champions League success. Luis de la Fuente’s inclusion follows Spain becoming world champions, while Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal campaign delivered a historic Premier League title. Unai Emery is recognised after another Europa League victory, achieved this time as Aston Villa manager.

Vincent Kompany is the only non-Spanish coach on the list. His Bayern Munich side completed a double and advanced to the Champions League semi-finals, where they were knocked out by PSG.

Men’s Club of the Year Nominees Confirmed

The five clubs set to contest the Ballon d’Or Club of the Year award have also been officially announced. Arsenal were the first nomination revealed after an excellent season under Mikel Arteta. The London club won their first Premier League title since 2004 and also reached the Champions League final, where they were beaten on penalties by PSG.

The second nominee is Bayern Munich. The Bavarian giant claimed an impressive 35th German title and has continued to operate at a high level under Vincent Kompany.

Paris Saint-Germain, winners of the Champions League, are the third name on the list. The French side have been described as one of the most impressive teams in the world over the past two seasons, with their authority in two successive campaigns in the world’s most prestigious club competition serving as the clearest confirmation.

The final two nominees are regarded as the biggest surprises from the prestigious French publication: Flamengo and Bodø/Glimt. Flamengo won the title in Brazil and also lifted the Copa Libertadores trophy. Bodø/Glimt, a modest club from the Norwegian province, have become one of the major sensations in European competitions in recent years, recording victories over Manchester City, Atletico Madrid and Inter – achievements accomplished entirely with local boys.

Linked Storylines Across the Ballon d’Or Lists

The coaching and club nominations are closely connected. Arteta and Arsenal feature across both categories after the club’s Premier League success and run to the Champions League final. Kompany and Bayern Munich also appear in both discussions, following the German champions’ domestic success and the coach’s double-winning campaign.

Paris Saint-Germain are central to several strands of the Ballon d’Or picture. Luis Enrique is nominated after winning the Champions League for the second consecutive year. PSG defeated Arsenal on penalties in the Champions League final, and Kompany’s Bayern Munich were eliminated by PSG in the semi-finals.