The 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony was held on Monday at the London Palladium Theatre, and FC Barcelona's women's side was named women's club of the year, according to Claro Sports. The Spanish club was recognized after a 2025-2026 season in which it won LaLiga, the UEFA Women's Champions League, the Copa de la Reina and the Supercopa de España.
The award was presented by three former Arsenal players — Patrick Vieira, Sol Campbell and Thierry Henry — who were on stage to mark the 2003-2004 "Invincibles" side that won the Premier League without losing a match, Claro Sports reported. Mexico's América Femenil, representing the Liga MX Femenil, was also among the nominees in the category.
Why it matters
The result caps a dominant season for Barcelona's women's team and extends a night in which the Catalan club featured prominently across several categories. Claro Sports described the ceremony as having a clear Barcelona presence, with the club's goalkeeper and coach also collecting individual honors.
For América Femenil, the nomination itself was framed by Claro Sports as international recognition of the Mexican side's achievements, even though the trophy went to Barcelona.
Cata Coll and Romeu add to Barcelona's haul
Barcelona goalkeeper Cata Coll was named the best women's goalkeeper in the world. According to Claro Sports, she received the award after a campaign in which she contributed to the club's silverware.
In her acceptance remarks, Coll thanked those who voted for her and said sharing the trophy with a Spanish winner was a privilege. She credited Barcelona for giving her the chance to represent the badge and thanked the staff, the national team, her family and her teammates, saying the prize belonged to them as much as to her. She closed by saying no better gift could be described than a girl being able to stand on that stage.
The Barcelona coach, Romeu, was named the best coach of a women's team for the 2025-2026 season, with Yahoo reporting the honor. The source material did not include further details of his acceptance speech.
Vicky López also won the Kopa Trophy again, according to MARCA, adding another Barcelona-linked award to the evening. Goal.com reported that the Barcelona coach and the young star opened the women's portion of the awards.
Spain's World Cup winners take the men's honors
Luis de la Fuente, coach of the Spanish national team, was named men's coach of the year after leading Spain to the 2026 World Cup title with a 1-0 win over Argentina in the final, Claro Sports reported. The 65-year-old had previously won Euro 2024 and the 2023 UEFA Nations League, and the outlet credited him with reviving a Spanish side built around players including Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Nico Williams and Rodri.
In his remarks, de la Fuente said receiving the award was a genuine honor and that being among the nominees was a source of pride. He said success is never final without the ability to keep learning, that the prize motivates him to keep improving, and that while success makes a team visible, teamwork makes it unbeatable.
Unai Simón, the Athletic Club and Spain goalkeeper, won the men's goalkeeper of the year award. Claro Sports reported that he was a key figure in Spain's World Cup triumph. In his speech, Simón thanked his parents, his partner, his childhood friends, his coaches and his teammates at both club and national level, and said he had learned to love Athletic Club, which he said had given him everything.
The goalkeeper awards were presented by Peter Schmeichel, the Danish former Manchester United keeper who won the Champions League in 1999, according to Claro Sports.
PSG honored in absentia, and a Socrates award for Arsenal
Paris Saint-Germain received one of the ceremony's major team honors after a 2025-2026 season in which it won the UEFA Champions League and Ligue 1, Claro Sports reported. The squad could not attend the gala because it was playing Olympique de Lyon in the French league on Monday. Ousmane Dembélé, the 2025 Ballon d'Or winner and still the holder of the award, accepted the prize on the club's behalf.
An Arsenal player received the Socrates Award, which Claro Sports said recognizes players for social commitment, humanitarian projects and solidarity work, including support for vulnerable communities, education, inclusion and efforts against discrimination. In comments reported by the outlet, the player said he works closely with his family and an institution that helps children who lack opportunities, providing surgeries and food when needed, describing it as a charity of various kinds.
The ceremony continues a run of major awards for Spanish football, with the national team's World Cup win now reflected in the coaching and goalkeeping categories. What remains to be seen is how the club and individual winners carry these honors into the rest of the season, and whether Barcelona's women's side can repeat a campaign that produced four trophies.
