The Ballon d’Or Men’s and Women's Coach of the Year shortlists have been announced, and there have been some notable inclusions, with Liverpool’s Arne Slot, Barcelona’s Hansi Flick, and the Lionesses' Sarina Wiegman earning nominations.

The annual award ceremony that recognises the best male and female footballers and coaches in the world is set to be staged in Paris next month.

Liverpool’s Slot became just the fifth manager to win the Premier League title at the first time of asking, as well as becoming the first Dutchman to win the top-flight title in England. As such, his achievements haven’t gone unrecognised with his first Ballon d’Or nomination.

Slot isn’t the only Premier League managerial representation, with Enzo Maresca also up for the award. Winning the UEFA Conference League and earning Champions League qualification on the final day of the Premier League season before going on to clinch the Club World Cup, Maresca’s nomination is by no means a surprise.

Predictably, the man that masterminded Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League triumph, Luis Enrique, has also been in receipt of a nomination.

The Spaniard, renowned for his dynamic, possession-based football, won the European and domestic double with his PSG side last season, thumping Inter Milan 5-0 in the final.

Barca enjoyed a remarkable 2024-25 season under Flick, with the head coach leading them to a domestic treble by winning La Liga, Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Super Cup. His team scored 102 goals, the highest in the five major European leagues.

Antonio Conte led Napoli to their second Scudetto in three years, having taken over in June 2024. The Italian manager has registered the highest average points per game (PPG) of any coach in Serie A history (2.24). This is the second time the Italian has been nominated for the prestigious award.

A consistent presence among the world’s top coaches, Wiegman has continued to lead the England Lionesses with remarkable success. Taking England to three consecutive major tournament finals, she was at the helm during England’s UEFA Women’s Euro victory this summer. This represents Wiegman’s second consecutive Ballon d'Or nomination.

Sonia Bompastor made history during her first season in charge of Chelsea, completing an unbeaten domestic treble with the Blues. She is just the third manager in the WSL era to win a domestic treble, while Chelsea are the first team to do so without losing since Arsenal in 2001.

The international stage has been thriving with coaching talent, and Arthur Elias is another name recognised on the shortlist. Elias steered the Brazilian Women’s team to the Copa America title earlier this month. Beating Colombia on penalties in the final, the Brazilians remained unbeaten in the tournament, with Elias now setting his sights on the Women’s World Cup in 2027.  

Justine Madugu made headlines in 2025 as the coach of Nigeria’s Super Falcons, leading them through a successful Olympic qualifying campaign and a strong showing at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, with the side sealing their record 10th title.

Leading her Arsenal side to a second-place finish in the WSL, and to just the club’s second Champions League title in their history, head coach Renee Slegers has emerged as a leading figure in the women’s game.