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 place among the league’s elite young talents confirmed after players across the country cast their votes. It is familiar territory for her. She is chasing the same prize she lifted in 2025, during her final season at Liverpool.

This time, though, she arrives as an Arsenal player and as a central figure in a side collecting silverware.

Smith joined from Liverpool last summer and wasted no time announcing herself in North London. On her Arsenal debut at Emirates Stadium, she produced a thunderous long-range strike against London City Lionesses, the kind of goal that instantly rewrites a first impression. One swing of her boot, and the new signing felt like a statement.

The goals kept coming. In February, she struck again in a dramatic 3-2 win over Corinthians, a vital contribution in securing the inaugural FIFA Women’s Champions Cup. On a night built for nerves and fine margins, Smith delivered when it mattered.

By the end of the 2025/26 campaign, her numbers underlined her influence. Ten goals across 38 matches in all competitions for Arsenal, a steady output in a season of transition at club level and growth on the international stage. This calendar year, she has also earned three caps for Canada, edging her way into the senior picture as her club form translates onto the global stage.

The PFA shortlist reflects the calibre of company she keeps. Smith is joined in the Young Player of the Year category by Alyssa Thompson (Chelsea), Freya Godfrey (London City Lionesses), Laura Blindkilde Brown (Manchester City), Toko Koga (Tottenham Hotspur), and Veerle Buurman (Chelsea). Six players, six different paths, all judged by their peers to have shaped the season.

Arsenal’s influence on the awards does not end there. Alessia Russo is also among the nominations, in contention for the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award after her own standout campaign.

All eyes now turn to August 25, when the winners will be revealed at the ceremony. For Olivia Smith, it is another night on a rapidly filling honours calendar—and another chance to show that last year’s award was only the beginning.