Female Soccer Player of the Year Contender Alessia Russo

Age: 26 Playing Role: Forward Teams: The Gunners and England

The talented forward created a legacy with Arsenal as they became the pioneering English team to win the prestigious European competition since the Gunners did in the 2000s, and also played a key role in leading the Lionesses to the successful retention of their continental crown.

She scored in the Euro 2025 showpiece match and hit top form for her club, playing a crucial role throughout the season in front of goal and with her defensive efforts.

Russo was honored as the FWA's women's footballer of the year for the previous campaign.

Russo finished as the Women's Super League's co-leading goalscorer, sharing the top scorer award with Khadija Shaw.

She scored twelve WSL goals for Arsenal and set up for a further two.

She was also nominated for the prestigious individual award and selected in the PFA and the European teams of the year.

Russo on how she feels she has improved over the past year:

"My top performances come when I'm enjoying myself and I know I'm training hard and I'm getting my work done, so that's something that I can always control.

"There's so many different aspects to a striker's role, it's so detailed and there are tiny differences. I'm always still learning. Our staff is excellent here at the club. There are top teammates to gain knowledge from as well. Then when the big games come around, the more you do them, the more you get used to them."

On winning Euro 2025 with England:

"The entire competition was a complete rollercoaster. There were ups and downs. It was emotionally really hard. It was taxing on our bodies.

"I recall after the last-eight game, a lot of us were really, really battered and bruised. The pressure was immense. But recovery had to be swift. It moves so fast.

"In my view the way that we won during the event was just grit and resilience. And I think that we knew that we had the team, we knew that we had what it takes.

"Facing the top sides in the world, the best players in the world and occasionally you have to grind out results."

On the Champions League final:

"The overriding feeling that I can remember from that whole day was just being so calm, like we were confident our preparation was complete, we knew that we had the ability, and we knew that we believed in the strategy and what we aimed to achieve.

"Naturally playing against a team like Barcelona, you've got to be comfortable not possessing the ball because they're so talented. When they do have the ball, they don't give it away that often.

"We as athletes in the high press and defensively, we were highly concentrated on our job at hand. There was extensive movement and a lot of defensive work. But ultimately that's what got the job done. In my opinion you have to be OK securing victories in that manner as well."

On Arsenal and England legend Kelly Smith being her idol:

"I was fortunate of seeing her play a few times with my dad. Watching her internationally, too, her talent was remarkable. I hope that she could have played longer and still be playing now, but she was one of the best ever.

"I believe those who teamed up with her would say the same thing and I didn't have the chance of experiencing that. But watching her was someone that I always used to love."

The striker notched 12 goals in twenty-one games in the WSL the previous campaign to divide the Golden Boot.

She was not just one of the deadliest players in the league but she was also a persistent danger in the penalty area throughout the campaign, taking more shots (seventy-three) and recording a superior xG (nine point seven) than any other player.

Her capability to aid the side outside of her goals sets her apart.

Fellow player a teammate often delivered progressive passes into Russo, so effective ball retention was essential.

Russo's ability to drop deep, freeing herself from her opposing defender through sharp, darting movements stood out.

If a marker got too close, Russo used her body well to win free-kicks, assisting the side secure the ball in the enemy territory. In the Champions' League the prior year, nobody was fouled more than the Arsenal striker (fifteen).

When the play settles, her control are highly effective. Her frequent scanning of her environment means she remains aware of where opponents are.

Russo takes minimal touches on the ball, moving it clear from opposing players applying player-to-player pressure, before locating close colleagues oriented forward.

By retaining the ball in tough situations, Russo is regularly able to act as an outlet for her side in trouble.

She is able convert tough balls into long periods of stable possession and these possessions in the opponent's final third result in scores, many of which she finishes personally.