Former Melbourne City midfielder Leticia McKenna has been voted the Austraffic 2026 PFA Young Women’s Footballer of the Year, recognising her outstanding performances for City and the Matildas.
The player-voted award celebrates the best-performing player aged 23 or under across club and international football. McKenna received the most votes from her peers, ahead of fellow nominees Charlize Rule, Isabel Gomez, Pia Vlok, Talia Younis and Willa Pearson.
McKenna’s final season in City Blue was a memorable one. She played a starring role as City claimed the A-League Women Premiership and Championship double and reached the semi-finals of the AFC Women’s Champions League.
The midfielder made 28 appearances and scored seven goals across all competitions, including an impressive long-range strike in City’s Grand Final win over Wellington Phoenix.
Her performances also earned her a first Matildas call-up for the FIFA Series in April. McKenna scored on debut in Australia’s win over Malawi, then went on to earn selection in the PFA A-League Women Team of the Season and the A-League Women All-Stars squad to face Chelsea.
Following her remarkable season, McKenna joined Women’s Super League 2 side Nottingham Forest after the club bought her from City for an undisclosed fee.
“It’s a massive privilege to receive this award,” McKenna said. “To be [voted] by your peers is something incredibly special. And I’m very, very grateful to receive this award.
“To go up against and play alongside a lot of these players [who voted] is massive in itself, and the award means a lot to me.
“There’s so many people that have helped me this season gone: family, staff members, coaches, teammates. It’s just massive and I’m very privileged to receive it.”
McKenna is the sixth player to win the award since its introduction in 2017, joining City teammate Karly Roestbakken and former City and current Matildas star Ellie Carpenter.
PFA Young Women’s Footballer of the Year winners
Leticia McKenna (2026), Mary Fowler (2025, 2024, 2022), Charlotte Grant (2023), Ellie Carpenter (2021, 2020), Karly Roestbakken (2019), Alex Chidiac (2018, 2017)
