Olivia Smith Shortlisted for 2026 PFA Young Player of the Year
Olivia Smith’s rise shows no sign of slowing.
The Arsenal forward has been shortlisted for the 2026 PFA Young Player of the Year award, a year on from winning the same prize during her final season at Liverpool. Back‑to‑back recognition, two different clubs. That is the mark of a player shaping a league, not just riding a hot streak.
Smith arrived in north London last summer with a reputation, but she wasted no time turning that into evidence. On her Arsenal debut at Emirates Stadium, she announced herself with a stunning long‑range strike against London City Lionesses, a goal that felt less like an introduction and more like a statement of intent.
The big moments kept coming. In February, with the inaugural FIFA Women’s Champions Cup on the line, Smith struck again in a 3-2 win over Corinthians, helping Arsenal get their hands on the new trophy and underlining her taste for pressure situations.
By the end of the 2025/26 campaign, the numbers backed up the eye test: 10 goals in 38 matches across all competitions. Not gaudy, but substantial in a side loaded with attacking options, and crucially, spread across the season rather than clustered in one purple patch. Alongside her club form, she added three appearances for Canada in this calendar year, pushing her influence onto the international stage.
The PFA shortlist reflects the strength of the next generation. Joining Smith in contention are Alyssa Thompson of Chelsea, London City Lionesses’ Freya Godfrey, Manchester City’s Laura Blindkilde Brown, Tottenham Hotspur’s Toko Koga, and another Chelsea talent, Veerle Buurman. It is a group that speaks to the depth of young quality across the league – and to the level Smith has had to reach just to stay in front of the pack.
Arsenal’s presence on the awards list does not end there. Alessia Russo has been nominated for the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award, a nod to her standing among her peers and a further sign of the club’s growing influence on the domestic landscape.
For Smith, the equation is simple. Win, and she becomes a two-time PFA Young Player of the Year before her career has truly hit its peak. Lose, and she remains one of the defining young forwards in the game, driving Arsenal and Canada into the seasons ahead.
The verdict arrives on August 25, when the winners are revealed at the ceremony. By then, the question may not be whether Olivia Smith deserves another award, but how far this trajectory can realistically take her.
