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Luis de la Fuente

Head coach, Spain national team

Sports Spain Hall No. 24

Profile

Why they shine

Luis de la Fuente took charge of Spain in December 2022 and has turned a settled squad into a machine: Euro 2024 winners, Nations League finalists twice and world champions in 2026. His team conceded a single goal in eight matches at the World Cup, kept seven clean sheets, and extended their unbeaten run in regulation time to 38 matches, a European record. At 65 he is the oldest coach to lift a World Cup. He had already won the 2019 European Under-21 Championship with the same federation before stepping up to the senior side.

Full name: Luis de la Fuente González
Nationality: Spain
Team (2026): Spain national team
Role: Head coach
2026 Ballon d'Or: Johan Cruyff Trophy — best coach
World Cup 2026: Champions — Spain's second title, 1 goal conceded in 8 matches

Record

Honor record

Johan Cruyff Trophy

2026 · Oct 26, 2026

London Palladium, London

Voted by the same 100-journalist panel that chose the men's Ballon d'Or, the award for the season's best coach in club or international football. de la Fuente's Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in extra time in the final, conceded one goal in eight matches and went 38 internationals without defeat in regulation time, a European record. At 65 he is the oldest manager to win a World Cup, and his 2024 European Championship makes him one of very few coaches to win both trophies with the same federation.

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