Spain Coach Luis de la Fuente won the Ballon d’Or men’s Coach of the Year award on Monday after leading his team to World Cup glory.
The 65-year-old received the award at a ceremony in London, praising his players for their teamwork and contribution to Spain’s success.
“Teamwork makes us invincible. This is a great honour,” de la Fuente said after collecting the award.
“The secret is to work with very generous players that put the team first. We’ve got such an amazing pool of talent, the best in the world, so as a coach I have such a great amount of talent to work with. So this is their success,” he added.
Unlike many modern coaches who enjoyed successful playing careers, de la Fuente built his reputation through Spain’s youth teams.
After a modest playing career and an unsuccessful spell in club management, he spotted an advert for a youth team coach placed by the Spanish Football Federation in 2013.
He secured the role with Spain’s Under-19s and later guided the senior team to success in the Nations League, Euro 2024 and the World Cup.
Spain entered the World Cup with high expectations, despite a goalless draw against debutants Cape Verde in their opening match.
They improved throughout the tournament before beating pre-tournament favourites France 2-0 in the semi-finals.
In a closely contested final against Lionel Messi’s Argentina in New Jersey, Spain held their nerve before Ferran Torres scored the winning goal in a 1-0 victory.
“This is recognition for a job very well done over many years,” de la Fuente added.
“I believe Spanish football, both in terms of coaching and the game itself, serves as an example of excellent youth development, which ultimately paves the way for future success.”
Barcelona coach Pere Romeu won the women’s coaching award after guiding the club to four trophies: the Spanish league, Spanish Cup, Super Cup and Champions League.