Female Soccer Player of the Year Contender Alessia Russo

Years Old: 26 Playing Role: Forward Clubs: The Gunners and the English national team

The talented forward created a legacy with Arsenal as they emerged as the pioneering English team to claim victory in the Women's Champions League since the North London side did in the 2000s, and also helped guide the Lionesses to the successful retention of their European Championship title.

She scored in the European Championship final and hit top form for her team, playing a crucial role throughout the season as an attacker and with her work off the ball.

Russo was named the Football Writers' Association's women's footballer of the year for the previous campaign.

She was the Women's Super League's joint top scorer, sharing the top scorer award with her rival striker.

Russo netted twelve WSL goals for the club and provided assists for a further two.

Her name was put forward for the 2025 Ballon d'Or and selected in the PFA and the Uefa Champions League teams of the year.

Her thoughts on personal development over the past year:

"I play my best football when I'm enjoying myself and I'm confident I'm training hard and completing my tasks, so those are aspects that I can always control.

"Numerous elements to a number nine position, it requires precision and there are tiny differences. I'm always still learning. Our staff is excellent here at the club. I have great players to learn off as well. Then when the important matches arrive, the greater your experience, the more you get used to them."

On winning Euro 2025 with England:

"The whole tournament was a complete rollercoaster. There were ups and downs. It tested us mentally. We were physically drained.

"I remember 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 squad, we knew that we had what it takes.

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

Discussing the European final:

"The main emotion that stands out from that entire occasion was just being very composed, like we knew our preparation was complete, we knew that we had what it takes, and we knew that we believed in the strategy and what we wanted to do.

"Obviously playing against a side such as Barça, you must accept not having the ball because their skill is exceptional. When they do have the ball, they don't give it away that often.

"We as athletes in the press and out of possession, we were highly concentrated on our job at hand. It was a lot of running and plenty of defending. But in the end that led to success. I think that you have to be OK securing victories in that manner as well."

Regarding her inspiration, Kelly Smith:

"I was fortunate of watching her a few times with my father. Seeing her for England, too, she was just incredible. I wish that her career lasted more and still be playing now, but she was one of the best ever.

"I believe those who teamed up with her would agree and I didn't have the chance of experiencing that. But watching her was someone that I greatly admired."

Alessia Russo notched twelve goals in 21 games in the WSL last season to divide the Golden Boot.

Not only was she one of the most clinical players in the competition but Russo was also a constant threat in the box throughout the campaign, attempting more efforts (73) and having a higher expected goals tally (nine point seven) than all her peers.

Her capability to aid the side beyond scoring distinguishes her.

Team-mate Mariona Caldentey regularly played forward balls into her, so effective ball retention was necessary.

Russo's ability to drop deep, creating space from her opposing defender through quick, incisive runs was notable.

If a marker got in tight, she used her physicality to draw fouls, helping her team gain settled possession in the enemy territory. In the European tournament last season, nobody was fouled more than the Arsenal striker (15).

When the ball does stick, Russo's touches are highly effective. Her regular awareness of her environment means she remains aware of where opponents are.

She uses few contacts on the ball, directing it away from defenders marking closely, before locating close colleagues positioned facing towards the goal.

By retaining the ball in tough situations, Russo is often capable to act as an release option for her side in trouble.

She is able convert tough balls into extended spells of stable possession and these possessions in the attacking zone lead to goals, several of these she ends up scoring herself.