Female Soccer Player of the Year Candidate Russo

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

Alessia Russo made history with Arsenal as they became the pioneering British team to claim victory in the prestigious European competition since the North London side did in the 2000s, and also played a key role in leading the Lionesses to the defence of their continental title.

She scored in the European Championship showpiece match and found her groove for her club, playing a crucial role all campaign long in front of goal and with her work off the ball.

Russo was honored as the Football Writers' Association's women's footballer of the year for last season.

She was the Women's Super League's joint top scorer, earning a share of the top scorer award with Khadija Shaw.

She scored 12 league goals for Arsenal and provided assists for a further two.

Her name was put forward for the 2025 Ballon d'Or and named in the Professional Footballers' Association and the Uefa Champions League season's best XIs.

Russo on how she feels she has improved over the previous season:

"I play my best football when I'm having fun and I know my efforts in practice 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 so many fine margins. I'm always still learning. Our staff is excellent here at the club. I have great players to gain knowledge from 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 entire competition was a total emotional ride. It was highs and lows. It tested us mentally. 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. The schedule is relentless.

"I think the way that we won throughout that whole tournament was just grit and resilience. And I think that we knew that we had the team, we knew that we had what it takes.

"You're playing against the top sides in the world, the elite athletes in the world and occasionally you have to grind out results."

On the Champions League final:

"The overriding feeling that stands out from that whole day was just being so calm, like we knew we'd done the work, we knew that we had what it takes, and we knew that we trusted the game plan and what we wanted to do.

"Obviously playing against a side such as Barça, you must accept not possessing the ball because they're so talented. When they do have the ball, they retain it frequently.

"We as athletes in the press and defensively, we were highly concentrated on our job at hand. There was extensive movement and plenty of defending. But ultimately that led to success. In my opinion you have to be content winning games like that as well."

Regarding her inspiration, Kelly Smith:

"I got the pleasure of watching her a few times with my father. Watching her internationally, too, her talent was remarkable. I hope that her career lasted more and still be playing now, but she ranks among the greats.

"I think anyone that has played with Kelly would say the same thing and I didn't have the chance of doing that. But watching her was something that I greatly admired."

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

Not only was she one of the deadliest players in the competition but she was also a persistent danger in the box throughout the campaign, attempting more efforts (seventy-three) and recording a superior xG (nine point seven) than all her peers.

Russo's ability to aid the side beyond scoring distinguishes her.

Team-mate a teammate often delivered forward balls into her, so effective ball retention was necessary.

Her skill to retreat into midfield, creating space from her nearby marker through quick, incisive runs stood out.

If a marker got in tight, Russo used her physicality to draw fouls, assisting the side secure the ball in the opponents' half. In the Champions' League the prior year, no player was drawn more fouls than the forward (fifteen).

When the ball does stick, her control are extremely efficient. Her regular awareness of her surroundings means she remains aware of where rivals are.

She uses few contacts on the ball, moving it clear from defenders applying player-to-player pressure, before finding close colleagues positioned facing towards the goal.

By retaining the ball in difficult scenarios, Russo is regularly able to act as an release option for her team under pressure.

She can turn difficult passes into long periods of stable possession and such phases in the opponent's final third result in scores, several of these she finishes personally.