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Olivia Smith wins second consecutive PFA Young Player of the Year award
Olivia Smith, the 22-year-old Canadian star for Arsenal, has been named the PFA Women’s Young Player of the Year for the second consecutive year. Having previously won the award while playing for Liverpool, Smith is the first non-English player to receive this honor and only the second woman to win it multiple times.
Arsenal dominated the 2026 PFA Awards, securing the highest number of selections across both the men’s and women’s teams. In the men’s Premier League Team of the Year, five Arsenal players were recognized: David Raya, Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba, Jurrien Timber, and Declan Rice. In the women’s WSL Team of the Year, Arsenal was represented by Emily Fox, Mariona Caldentey, and Alessia Russo.
In the men’s category, Nico O’Reilly of Manchester City was awarded the Young Player of the Year. Smith’s standout season included scoring 10 goals in 38 matches for Arsenal and playing a key role in their 2026 FIFA Women’s Champions Cup victory.
Entities
Arsenal · Liverpool · Manchester City · Olivia Smith · Professional Footballers’ Association
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Olivia Smith won the PFA Women’s Young Player of the Year award for the second consecutive year. canadiansoccerdaily.com · dailycannon.com · theanalyst.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Arsenal had the most players selected for the 2026 PFA Teams of the Year across both men and women. dailycannon.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Olivia Smith scored in the 2026 FIFA Women’s Champions Cup final to help Arsenal win the title. canadiansoccerdaily.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Three Arsenal women, Emily Fox, Mariona Caldentey, and Alessia Russo, were named to the PFA WSL Team of the Year. dailycannon.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Nico O’Reilly of Manchester City won the PFA Men’s Young Player of the Year award. canadiansoccerdaily.com · dailycannon.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Olivia Smith is the first non-English recipient of the PFA Young Player of the Year award. canadiansoccerdaily.com · dailycannon.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Olivia Smith transferred from Liverpool to Arsenal for a then-world-record fee of £1 million. canadiansoccerdaily.com · theanalyst.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Five Arsenal men, David Raya, Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba, Jurrien Timber, and Declan Rice, were named to the Premier League Team of the Year. dailycannon.com