Pia Vlok has been nominated for the Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) young women’s footballer of the year award.
The young Phoenix forward is one of six nominees selected by an expert panel of past players and media representatives based on their performances between July 2025 and June 2026 in both club and international competitions.
Vlok, 17, captained New Zealand at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco last October before a breakout rookie season in the A-League.
She was named the Ninja A-League young footballer of the year after scoring six goals and registering four assists for the Phoenix.
Vlok’s maiden goal for the Nix made her the women’s youngest ever goal scorer and her hat-trick against the Newcastle Jets was the first in team history.
She was one of six Wellington players selected in the PFA A-League women’s team of the season and played for the Ninja A-League All Stars against Chelsea FC in Sydney earlier this month.
Vlok was recently one of 12 past or present Phoenix players named in the New Zealand squad for the upcoming FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland.
The winner of the PFA young women’s footballer of the year award will be determined by PFA members.
A New Zealander has yet to win the award, but two former Phoenix players, Libby Cacace and Alex Paulsen, are past winners of the PFA young men’s footballer of the year award – the Harry Kewell Medal.
PFA young women’s footballer of the year nominees: Charlize Rule (Brighton & Hove Albion), Isabel Gomez (Central Coast Mariners), Pia Vlok (Wellington Phoenix), Talia Younis (Western Sydney Wanderers), Leticia McKenna (Melbourne City), Willa Pearson (Sydney FC)
