Female Soccer Player of the Year Candidate Alessia Russo

Years Old: 26 Position: Striker Clubs: Arsenal and the English national team

Alessia Russo created a legacy with Arsenal as they became the pioneering English team to win the Women's Champions League since the North London side did in the 2000s, and also played a key role in leading the Lionesses to the successful retention of their European Championship title.

Russo found the net in the Euro 2025 showpiece match and found her groove for her club, making significant contributions all campaign long in front of goal and with her work off the ball.

Russo was honored as the FWA's women's footballer of the year for last season.

She was the WSL's co-leading goalscorer, earning a share of the top scorer award with her rival striker.

She scored twelve WSL goals for Arsenal and provided assists for a couple more.

Her name was put forward for the 2025 Ballon d'Or and selected in the Professional Footballers' Association and the European teams of the year.

Her thoughts on personal development over the past year:

"I play my best football when I'm having fun and I know my efforts in practice and I'm getting my work done, so those are aspects that I can always control.

"There's so many different aspects to a number nine position, it's so detailed and there are so many fine margins. I'm always still learning. We have great coaches here at Arsenal. There are top teammates to gain knowledge from as well. Then when the important matches come around, the greater your experience, the more you get used to them."

Reflecting on England's European triumph:

"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 you've got to turn it around quickly. It moves so fast.

"I think 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.

"You're playing against the top sides in the world, the best players in the world and sometimes you have to win a little bit dirty."

On the Champions League final:

"The main emotion that I can remember from that entire occasion was just being very composed, 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 aimed to achieve.

"Obviously playing against a team like Barcelona, you must accept not possessing the ball because their skill is exceptional. When they do have the ball, they retain it frequently.

"As players in the press and out of possession, we were highly concentrated on our assigned tasks. There was extensive movement and a lot of defensive work. But in the end that's what got the job done. I think that you have to be OK winning games like that as well."

Regarding her inspiration, Kelly Smith:

"I was fortunate of watching her a couple of occasions with my father. Seeing her for England, too, she was just incredible. I hope that she could have played longer and she was active today, but she was one of the best ever.

"I think anyone that has played with Kelly would agree and I never got the pleasure of doing that. But observing her play was something that I always used to love."

Alessia Russo scored twelve goals in 21 games in the WSL last season to share the scoring award.

Not only was she one of the deadliest players in the league but Russo was also a constant threat in the box throughout the campaign, attempting more efforts (73) and recording a superior xG (9.7) than all her peers.

Russo's ability to contribute to the team outside of her goals sets her apart.

Team-mate Mariona Caldentey often delivered forward balls into Russo, so effective ball retention was necessary.

Russo's ability to retreat into midfield, creating space from her nearby marker through sharp, darting movements was notable.

If a marker got too close, Russo used her body well to draw fouls, helping her team gain settled possession in the opponents' half. In the Champions' League last season, no player 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.

Russo takes minimal touches on the ball, directing it away from opposing players applying player-to-player pressure, before finding nearby team-mates positioned facing towards the goal.

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

She can convert tough balls into extended spells of stable possession and these possessions in the opponent's final third lead to goals, many of which she ends up scoring herself.