THE RISE OF OLIVIA SMITH…AND STILL ONLY 21!
From Canadian prodigy to Arsenal’s £1m superstar
By Leah Elliott
Arsenal’s summer signing of Canadian forward Olivia Smith has done more than bolster their attack. At just 21, she became the first woman’s footballer to command a seven-figure transfer fee, a landmark moment in the sport’s evolution.
Smith’s journey to north London has been rapid and relentless. Born in North York, Ontario, and raised in Whitby, she first turned heads as a precocious teenager in Canada’s youth system. At 15 years and 94 days, she made her senior debut for the Canadian national team in November 2019 — still the youngest ever to do so.
“She was born for this,” said Erica Dambach, her former head coach at Penn State University. “Everything was leading to this.”
After starring in the U.S. college game and dominating with North Toronto Nitros in League1 Ontario — where she scored 18 goals in 11 matches and swept the league’s individual awards — Smith turned professional with Sporting CP in Portugal in 2023. There, she hit double figures in goals in her debut season, quickly catching the eye of English clubs.
Liverpool acted first, signing Smith in 2024 for £210,000 to strengthen their Women’s Super League attack. She justified the faith, scoring seven league goals in her debut campaign and becoming one of the WSL’s most fouled players as defences tried to contain her pace and flair.
But Arsenal wanted more than just another attacking option. In July 2025, they broke new ground by paying £1 million to prise Smith from Liverpool — the first seven-figure transfer in the women’s game. While that record has since been surpassed, her status as the first remains etched into women’s footballing history.
Arsenal view Smith as a cornerstone of their future: a dynamic forward who can play across the front line, create as well as finish, and bring a relentless work rate to a team fighting for WSL and Champions League honours. For Canada, she is already a mainstay heading into her third senior tournament cycle before turning 22.
Her rise has mirrored the trajectory of the women’s game itself: bigger stages, larger audiences, and unprecedented investment. And though the spotlight is now brighter than ever, Smith’s former coach believes she will thrive under it.
“She’s been building towards this moment her whole career,” Dambach said. “Olivia was born for it.”