Sometimes called “the next Christine Sinclair,” Canadian footballer Olivia Smith signed with England’s Arsenal for a record-setting 1 million pounds ($1.34 million) this week.
Smith will wear the number 15 jersey for the Arsenal.
She comes to the Arsenal from Liverpool FC Women, where she was The Red’s top scorer, with seven goals in 20 Women’s Super League (WSL) games in her debut season, earning recognition as Liverpool Players’ Player of the Year for 2024–25.
Despite Smith’s efforts, Liverpool finished seventh in league play.
Before coming to England, Smith tasted professional international play as a member of Portuguese side Sporting CP, where she played for a club record fee of €250,000 (£212,000) and earned Liga BPI Young Player of the Season for 2023-24.
“We’re thrilled to bring Olivia to Arsenal. She’s one of the most talented young players in the game and has huge potential for further development here at the club. On behalf of everyone at Arsenal, I’d like to welcome Olivia to Arsenal and congratulate her on this special moment.”
– Arsenal Director of Women’s Football Clare Wheatley
What makes Smith so special?
According to several news sources, Smith’s dynamic dribbling and control, her ability to take on defenders and change direction quickly make her stand out among her competitors. She maintains possession in tight areas, and is a versatile, flexible attacker.
Smith is well aware of her talents, but also wants to grow. She told the Arsenal website, “I find that I’m very technical, quick. I like to move quickly with the ball, and I think that’s key. And then also just being able to use my teammates. Especially my defensive work has improved a lot, so I’d say that’s also important in my game too.”
The Arsenal’s deal makes the 20-year-old Canadian forward and former Penn State Nittany Lion the most expensive player in the history of the women’s game.
The million-dollar transaction also marks a sizeable increase from 2002, when Brazilian midfielder Milene Domingues moved from Fiammamonza in Italy to Rayo Vallecano in Spain for $310,000, per the Associated Press. The money also shows how significantly the women’s game has progressed in stature and attendance over the past two decades.
Prior to Smith’s signing, United States defender Naomi Girma had been women’s soccer’s first million-dollar player when she moved to Chelsea from the San Diego Wave in January for a reported 900,000 pounds ($1.1 million).
Growing up in Whitby, Ontario, Canada, Smith’s life has been building to this point for quite some time.
According to The Athletic, who profiled Smith last November, her father Sean watched Liverpool football games with her curled up in his arms. As she grew, she wanted to hold a football…at age two. Described as competitive, Smith joined boys football teams and learned Taekwondo to defend herself against boys who rebelled against her presence.
As she grew, the Athletic reported, she honed her skills by club training four days a week, daily one-on-one sessions, and meet-and-greets with stars she wanted to emulate, especially Brazil’s Marta and Canadian superstar Christine Sinclair. Her basement, they said, was “transformed into a technical skill cave: ladders and cones on the floor to perfect her footwork, a table with its legs removed pushed against the wall to perfect her touch.”
In 2022, Smith played for the North Toronto Nitros in League1 Ontario, making her debut on May 7 against Alliance United, as Wikipedia sources recall. In her next match on May 14, she scored her first goal. She scored a brace on May 18, then scored four goals in a 6–1 victory over BVB IA Waterloo.
At age 15, she won her first international cap in 2019. According to the Arsenal’s website, she’s made 18 appearances and scored four goals for Canada, representing her country at the 2023 FIFA World Cup and the 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup, where she was named Best Young Player, as well as Young Player of the Season and Forward of the Year, after leading the league in scoring with 18 goals, while only appearing in 11 games.
“Even back then (when I was a child), I swear, I wanted to win a Ballon d’Or one day,” she said to The Athletic in November 2024 . “I wanted to play in a World Cup, in an Olympics, to play for my national team.”
Some of those dreams are still ahead for Smith. She was injured and unable to participate in the 2024 SheBelieves Cup, and ultimately was not included in the Canadian Olympic roster.
The Guardian reports that Arsenal was impressed by the extensive experience Smith had accumulated at such a young age and regard her signing as a major moment for the club.
“Olivia is an exciting young player and we believe she can make a big contribution here at Arsenal,” head coach Renee Slegers told Sportsnet. “We’ve been impressed by her mentality and character, excelling in two European leagues at such a young age.”
Smith signed a four-year deal, according to an Associated Press source with knowledge of the contract.
“It’s been a dream of mine. It’s a privilege and an honour,” Smith told the BBC in her first interview as a Gunner. “Everything that Arsenal has accomplished is just so massive, and for me to now be a part of that, I’m very excited.”
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