Female Soccer Player of the Year Candidate Alessia Russo

Years Old: 26 Position: Forward Clubs: The Gunners and England

Alessia Russo made history with Arsenal as they became the pioneering English team to claim victory in the Women's Champions League since the Gunners did in 2008, and also helped guide England to the defence of their European Championship title.

She scored in the Euro 2025 showpiece match and found her groove for her club, making significant contributions throughout the season in front of goal and with her work off the ball.

The forward 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 Golden Boot with Khadija Shaw.

She scored twelve WSL goals for the club and set up 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 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'm confident I'm training hard and I'm getting my work done, so that's something that are within my power.

"Numerous elements to a number nine position, it requires precision and there are tiny differences. I'm always still learning. We have great coaches here at the club. I have great players to learn off as well. Then when the big games arrive, the greater your experience, the more comfortable you become."

Reflecting on England's European triumph:

"The entire competition was a total emotional ride. There were ups and downs. It was emotionally really hard. We were physically drained.

"I recall after the Sweden [quarter-final] game, a lot of us were extremely sore and injured. The pressure was immense. But you've got to turn it around quickly. It moves so fast.

"In my view the way that we won during the event was just determination and toughness. And I think that we knew that we had the squad, we knew that we had the necessary qualities.

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

Discussing the European final:

"The main emotion that I can remember from that entire occasion 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 believed in the game plan and what we wanted to do.

"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.

"As players in the high 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 seeing her play a few times with my father. Seeing her for England, too, she was just incredible. I wish that she could have played longer and still be playing now, but she ranks among the greats.

"I believe anyone that has played with Kelly would agree and I never got the pleasure of doing that. But observing her play was someone that I greatly admired."

The striker notched 12 goals in twenty-one games in the WSL the previous campaign to share the scoring award.

She was not just one of the most clinical players in the competition but Russo was also a persistent danger in the penalty area throughout the campaign, attempting more efforts (73) and having a higher expected goals tally (9.7) than all her peers.

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

Team-mate Mariona Caldentey often delivered 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 stood out.

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

When the ball does stick, her control are highly effective. Her frequent scanning of her environment means she remains aware of where rivals are.

Russo takes minimal touches on the ball, moving it clear from defenders marking closely, before locating close colleagues positioned facing towards the goal.

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

She can turn difficult passes into long periods of stable possession and these possessions in the attacking zone result in scores, several of these she ends up scoring herself.