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 would underline what those inside dressing rooms have already decided with their votes: she is one of the most feared young attackers in the league.

This is a players’ award. The six names on the list are there because professionals across the country put them there, and Smith’s season in red and white demanded attention.

She arrived from Liverpool last summer and wasted no time announcing herself. On her Arsenal debut at Emirates Stadium, she stepped inside and unleashed a long-range strike against London City Lionesses, a goal that felt like a statement as much as a spectacular first impression.

The big moments kept coming. In February, with the inaugural FIFA Women’s Champions Cup on the line against Corinthians, Smith was on the scoresheet again in a 3-2 victory that delivered Arsenal a new piece of silverware. On a night that needed composure and conviction, she supplied both.

Across the 2025/26 campaign, Smith delivered 10 goals in 38 matches in all competitions, numbers that only tell part of the story of her constant movement, aggression without the ball, and willingness to carry the game to opponents. Her form has travelled with her onto the international stage too, where she has made three appearances for Canada in this calendar year.

Now she stands on the brink of history. Win the PFA Young Player of the Year again and she will complete a rare personal double, lifting the award in consecutive seasons for two different clubs.

She is in sharp company. Alyssa Thompson and Veerle Buurman fly the flag for Chelsea, Freya Godfrey represents London City Lionesses, Laura Blindkilde Brown stands for Manchester City, and Toko Koga carries Tottenham Hotspur’s hopes. It is a shortlist stacked with emerging stars, each backed by their peers.

Arsenal interest in the PFA honours does not stop there. Alessia Russo also features among the nominees, in contention for the prestigious PFA Players’ Player of the Year award after a campaign that has cemented her as one of the division’s leading forwards.

All eyes now turn to August 25, when the winners will be revealed at the awards ceremony. For Olivia Smith, it could be the night that confirms what her season has already suggested: this is only the beginning.