De la Fuente Backs Spain Star for Ballon d’Or After 26 Nominees

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has backed a Spanish winner for the Ballon d’Or ahead of the October 26 ceremony, arguing his players have earned greater recognition after a year in which Spain supplied 26 nominees across the awards.

De la Fuente pushes Spain’s Ballon d’Or case

De la Fuente believes Spain’s leading players combine technical quality with an exceptional reading of the game, yet have too often been overlooked for football’s biggest individual honour.

He said the award should go to a Spaniard because, in his view, Spanish players are among the world’s best in several areas, particularly their understanding of matches. The coach added that they have built a strong enough case over the past year and deserve proper credit.

Asked to choose between Rodri and Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal, De la Fuente declined to single out one candidate. His position was clear: any Spanish winner would satisfy him.

Yamal confidence backed as Mbappe comparison grows

De la Fuente also defended Yamal after the Barcelona forward placed himself alongside Kylian Mbappe among the game’s standout current talents. Mbappe is now at Real Madrid, while Yamal’s rise has made him one of the central names in the award conversation.

The Spain manager said Yamal’s words should be judged in their full context rather than treated as disrespectful. He feels both Yamal and Mbappe have done enough to justify their confidence and possess the special qualities to shape elite football over the coming years.

• Yamal has emerged as one of Barcelona and Spain’s defining young talents.
• Mbappe is viewed by De la Fuente as another player capable of setting the standard for the next era.
• The coach said neither player’s Ballon d’Or ambition should be mistaken for arrogance.

Fabian Ruiz, Oyarzabal and Pedri also raised

De la Fuente warned against narrowing the debate to only the most prominent names. Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Fabian Ruiz was singled out as a consistently high-level performer who does not always receive the attention given to other stars.

He also felt Mikel Oyarzabal merited a place among the 30 nominees, pointing to the forward’s contribution as top scorer for Spain’s world champion side. Pedri’s absence was another surprise for the national-team boss.

For De la Fuente, the collective achievements of Spain should carry major weight when voters decide the individual prize, even if none of his players ultimately wins it.

Spain’s goalkeeping depth in focus

De la Fuente pointed to the goalkeeping award as further evidence of Spain’s strength, with Unai Simon, David Raya and Joan García all nominated.

He described having all three of Spain’s World Cup goalkeepers in contention as a privilege and maintained that Spanish football regularly has at least three keepers among the five best in the world.

The next step comes on October 26, when the Ballon d’Or winners will be announced and Spain’s sizeable group of nominees will learn whether De la Fuente’s call for recognition has been answered.