Luis Enrique Crowned Best Coach at Globe Soccer Awards 2025 After Historic PSG Campaign

In a glittering ceremony held at the luxurious Atlantis The Royal hotel in Dubai on December 28, 2025, Luis Enrique received the coveted Best Coach award at the Globe Soccer Awards 2025, capping off a remarkable year that saw the Spanish tactician rewrite the history books with Paris Saint-Germain. The recognition marks the culmination of an unprecedented calendar year for the former Barcelona manager, who has now completed a clean sweep of football’s most prestigious coaching honors.

The Triple Crown: Enrique’s Year of Glory

Luis Enrique’s triumph at the Globe Soccer Awards represents the third major individual coaching accolade he has secured in recent months, establishing him as the undisputed coaching talent of 2025.

This latest honor follows his previous victories at both the Ballon d’Or ceremony, where he claimed the Johan Cruyff Trophy for Best Coach in September, and the FIFA The Best Awards, where he was recognized as Men’s Coach of the Year in mid-December.

The convergence of these three premier coaching recognitions is extraordinarily rare in modern football, typically reserved for managers who achieve historic milestones. Enrique guided Paris Saint-Germain to six trophies in 2025, including PSG’s first Champions League title, Ligue 1, the Intercontinental Cup, the French Cup and UEFA Super Cup.

PSG Dominate Globe Soccer Awards Night

PSG’s dominance at the Globe Soccer Awards was rubber-stamped as the club was named Best Men’s Club, Luis Enrique won the Best Coach award, and Vitinha was recognised as Best Midfielder. The Parisian club’s remarkable showing at the ceremony underscored their transformation under the Spanish tactician’s guidance, with multiple players and staff members earning recognition across various categories.

PSG’s Globe Soccer Awards Haul

This sweeping success across multiple categories demonstrated the comprehensive excellence that Luis Enrique has cultivated within the organization. From youth development to tactical execution, from administrative vision to on-field performance, every aspect of the club’s operation received validation.

The Historic Six-Trophy Haul

Luis Enrique’s recognition as Best Coach stems directly from his orchestration of one of the most successful campaigns in European football history. PSG lifted six trophies in 2025, an achievement the club had never managed before, winning Ligue 1, the Champions League, French Cup and Super Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, and the Intercontinental Cup secured against Flamengo in Doha.

Breaking Down the Trophy Cabinet

UEFA Champions League (May 2025) The pinnacle achievement came when PSG defeated Inter Milan 5-0 in the Champions League final, securing the club’s first-ever European Cup. This victory ended more than a decade of heartbreak and near-misses for the Qatari-backed project. The comprehensive nature of the triumph, combined with dominant performances throughout the knockout stages, showcased Enrique’s tactical mastery.

Ligue 1 Championship PSG’s domestic dominance reached new heights as they secured the French championship with six matches remaining. Their unbeaten run through the first 28 games of the season demonstrated the consistency and quality that Luis Enrique instilled in his squad.

Coupe de France The domestic double was completed with victory in the French Cup, further cementing PSG’s supremacy over their domestic rivals. This trophy represented continuity from the previous season, as Enrique retained the cup his team had also won in his debut campaign.

UEFA Super Cup Following their Champions League triumph, PSG faced Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup and emerged victorious, adding another piece of silverware to their collection and establishing themselves as Europe’s premier club.

Trophée des Champions (French Super Cup) PSG’s season began with silverware as they claimed the traditional curtain-raiser to the French football season, setting the tone for the unprecedented success that would follow.

Intercontinental Cup The year concluded with glory as PSG defeated Brazilian giants Flamengo in Doha to claim the Intercontinental Cup, bringing their 2025 trophy count to an extraordinary six titles.

Statistical Dominance Under Luis Enrique

The numbers behind PSG’s success tell a compelling story of sustained excellence throughout the calendar year. Between January and December 2025, PSG played a staggering 67 matches in all competitions, breaking their previous club record of 61 set in 2021.

The 50 victories achieved across all competitions surpassed PSG’s previous best of 48 wins, set during the star-studded 2017 campaign. This consistency of performance, maintained across domestic and international competitions, reflected the tactical discipline and physical conditioning that Luis Enrique prioritized throughout his tenure.

The Tactical Revolution: Enrique’s Philosophy

What distinguishes Luis Enrique’s achievement is not merely the accumulation of silverware, but the manner in which it was secured. The Spanish tactician inherited a squad in transition, facing the departures of global superstars Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappé. Rather than attempting to replace these irreplaceable talents with equivalent marquee signings, Enrique implemented a tactical system that emphasized collective strength over individual brilliance.

His approach centered on high-intensity pressing, rapid transitions, and sophisticated positional rotations. Players were expected to understand multiple positions and adapt their roles based on game situations. This tactical flexibility proved crucial in European competition, where PSG demonstrated the ability to dominate possession against weaker opponents while also executing devastating counter-attacks against elite teams.

The integration of younger talents like Désiré Doué and the tactical refinement of established players such as Vitinha and Ousmane Dembélé showcased Enrique’s developmental acumen. Rather than being constrained by the absence of megastars, PSG flourished through collective cohesion and tactical discipline.

Personal Triumph Amid Personal Tragedy

Luis Enrique’s success carries additional emotional weight given the personal tragedy he has endured. His youngest daughter, Xana Martinez, passed away in August 2019 at just nine years old after a five-month battle with osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. Throughout the 2024-25 season, Enrique openly acknowledged his daughter’s memory, dedicating the Champions League triumph to her.

His ability to maintain professional excellence while processing profound personal loss has earned widespread admiration throughout the football community. The emotional interview he gave following PSG’s Champions League victory, in which he spoke about how Xana remains with him every day, resonated deeply with supporters and neutrals alike.

Recognition from Coaching Peers

The Globe Soccer Awards ceremony brought together an illustrious gathering of football legends, current stars, and industry decision-makers. Luis Enrique’s recognition among this assembled company carries particular significance given the voting process, which incorporates perspectives from former players, coaches, agents, and journalists rather than relying solely on statistical metrics or fan voting.

Among the other coaches shortlisted for the Best Coach award were Premier League tacticians Mikel Arteta (Arsenal), Arne Slot (Liverpool), and Hansi Flick (Barcelona), alongside La Liga’s Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid). That Luis Enrique emerged ahead of these accomplished rivals, each managing historically significant clubs, underscores the magnitude of his achievements with PSG.

Historic Context: Rare Treble Achievement

Luis Enrique’s 2025 campaign with PSG places him among an extremely exclusive group of managers to have won the continental treble (domestic league, domestic cup, and Champions League) with two different clubs. He previously achieved this feat with Barcelona in 2015, when his attacking trio of Messi, Suárez, and Neymar demolished opposition across all competitions.

That he has now replicated this achievement without comparable individual talent at his disposal makes the 2025 success arguably more impressive from a purely managerial perspective. Only a handful of coaches in football history have won the Champions League with two different clubs, including Carlo Ancelotti, Pep Guardiola, and José Mourinho. Luis Enrique’s membership in this elite fraternity was sealed with that unforgettable 5-0 victory over Inter Milan.

PSG’s Institutional Transformation

Beyond the immediate glory of silverware, Luis Enrique’s impact on PSG extends to institutional transformation. The club’s identity has evolved from a collection of individual superstars to a cohesive tactical unit. This shift required not only Enrique’s technical expertise but also his strong personality and unwavering commitment to his methods, even during periods of skepticism from media and supporters.

Club president Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, who himself won the Best President award at the Globe Soccer ceremony, has publicly credited Luis Enrique with fundamentally altering PSG’s trajectory. The mutual respect between the two has created stability and clarity of vision, essential ingredients for sustained success at the highest level.

Sporting director Luis Campos, recognized as Best Sporting Director at the same ceremony, worked in tandem with Enrique to identify and recruit players who fit the coach’s tactical requirements rather than chasing commercial appeal. This alignment between coaching philosophy and recruitment strategy represents a maturation of PSG’s approach to squad building.

The Broader Impact on French Football

Luis Enrique’s success with PSG reverberates beyond the club itself, elevating the profile and prestige of French football on the global stage. For years, Ligue 1 faced criticism as a “farmers’ league” lacking competitive depth. While PSG’s domestic dominance continues, their European triumph validates the quality of French football and provides a template for how clubs can compete at the highest level.

The development of French talents under Enrique’s guidance—including the emergence of players like Désiré Doué—demonstrates that world-class coaching can accelerate domestic player development. This has implications for the French national team, which benefits from players receiving elite tactical education at the club level.

Challenges Overcome and Resilience Displayed

The narrative of Luis Enrique’s triumphant 2025 should not obscure the challenges and adversity faced along the way. The season began with skepticism about whether PSG could genuinely compete for the Champions League without a talismanic superstar. Early Champions League group stage performances were unconvincing, raising questions about Enrique’s approach.

Injury crises throughout the campaign tested squad depth and tactical flexibility. Key players missed significant periods, forcing Enrique to deploy unconventional lineups and rotate responsibilities. That the team maintained its competitive edge despite these setbacks speaks to the comprehensive nature of his coaching—players understood their roles, trusted the system, and executed under pressure.

The intense fixture congestion resulting from PSG’s success in multiple competitions could have led to fatigue-related decline. Instead, Enrique’s sports science team and his careful management of player workload enabled sustained performance levels that other clubs have historically struggled to maintain.

Other Notable Winners at Globe Soccer Awards 2025

The ceremony celebrated excellence across multiple categories beyond coaching. Ousmane Dembélé, Luis Enrique’s attacking talisman, was crowned Best Men’s Player, while Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmatí claimed Best Women’s Player. Cristiano Ronaldo received the Best Middle Eastern Player award for his transformative impact with Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia.

Career achievement awards honored two legends who exemplified different eras and styles: Andrés Iniesta, remembered for scoring Spain’s 2010 World Cup final winner, and Hidetoshi Nakata, who pioneered Asian excellence in European football. These recognitions provided emotional moments during the ceremony, connecting football’s past with its present.

In one of the ceremony’s most poignant tributes, the parents of late Portugal and Liverpool forward Diogo Jota received a special award honoring their sons André and Diogo, creating one of the evening’s most moving scenes and reminding the assembled football family of life’s fragility and the game’s capacity to unite people in shared grief and celebration.

Read More: Filipe Luis Signs New Deal at Flamengo Until December 2027 After Excellent Work at the Club

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