London, October 27, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Spain’s World Cup-winning coach Luis de la Fuente has been named Coach of the Year at the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony, while goalkeeper Unai Simon has been honoured as the world’s best goalkeeper following his record-breaking performances at the tournament.
De la Fuente guided Spain to the 2026 FIFA World Cup title, capping a successful period in charge of the national team with another major international trophy. Spain’s campaign was marked by possession-based football, aggressive attacking transitions and a disciplined defence that conceded just one goal throughout the tournament, against Belgium.
Spain also overcame heavyweight opponents, including France and Argentina, on its way to lifting the trophy.
The achievement further strengthened De la Fuente’s reputation, with his tenure having delivered a series of major honours. Since taking charge in 2023, he has guided Spain to the 2022–23 UEFA Nations League title, the 2024 European Championship and the 2026 World Cup.
Spain also recorded an unprecedented run of 42 consecutive international matches without defeat under his leadership, according to the report.
Simon, meanwhile, earned the best goalkeeper award after an outstanding World Cup campaign. The Athletic Club shot-stopper set a new tournament record by going 560 consecutive minutes without conceding a goal.
His run surpassed the previous record of 517 minutes, set by Italy goalkeeper Walter Zenga during the 1990 World Cup. Zenga’s mark had stood for 36 years.
Simon’s performances proved crucial to Spain’s successful campaign, establishing him as one of the tournament’s standout players and securing his place among the leading goalkeepers in international football.
The two awards recognise Spain’s success on both sides of the game, with De la Fuente’s tactical leadership and Simon’s goalkeeping playing prominent roles in the country’s World Cup triumph.
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