Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola was honored as the men’s coach of the year at the FIFA Best Awards in London. The Spanish manager led Manchester City to a remarkable treble-winning season, securing the top spot in the vote ahead of finalists Simone Inzaghi and Luciano Spalletti.
At 52 years old, Guardiola became the first Spaniard to win The Best FIFA Men’s Coach Award, which was introduced in 2016. Previously, he had achieved second place in 2019 and third place in 2021 and 2022. It’s important to note that the FIFA Best Awards cover a calendar year, unlike the Ballon d’Or awards, which reflect performances across a season. In 2023, the men’s awards and Puskas Award were judged from December 19, 2022, to August 20, 2023, to account for the Qatar World Cup.
The winners are determined through a combination of votes from national team players and captains, journalists, and fans on FIFA’s website, with each group accounting for 25% of the vote. The awards include categories for the best coach and goalkeeper in both the men’s and women’s divisions. The ceremony was held at the Hammersmith Apollo in London and was attended by a host of renowned players, both past and present.