Female Footballer of the Year Candidate Alessia Russo

Years Old: 26 Playing Role: Striker Teams: Arsenal and England

Alessia Russo created a legacy 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 played a key role in leading the Lionesses to the defence of their continental title.

She scored in the European Championship final and found her groove for her team, making significant contributions all campaign long as an attacker and with her defensive efforts.

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

Russo finished as the WSL's joint top scorer, sharing the top scorer award with her rival striker.

Russo netted twelve league goals for Arsenal and set up for a further two.

She was also nominated for the 2025 Ballon d'Or and named in the Professional Footballers' Association and the European teams of the year.

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

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

"Numerous elements 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. I have great players to gain knowledge from as well. Then when the big games arrive, the more you do them, the more comfortable you become."

Reflecting on England's European triumph:

"The whole tournament was a complete rollercoaster. There were ups and downs. It tested us mentally. It was taxing on our bodies.

"I remember after the last-eight game, a lot of us were extremely sore and injured. It was so intense. But you've got to turn it around quickly. It moves so fast.

"In my view the way that we won throughout that whole tournament was just grit and resilience. And we were aware that we had the squad, we knew that we had the necessary qualities.

"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 I can remember from that whole day was just being very composed, like we were confident we'd done the work, we knew that we had what it takes, and we knew that we believed in the strategy and what we aimed to achieve.

"Obviously playing against a team like Barcelona, you've got to be comfortable not having the ball because their skill is exceptional. When they do have the ball, they retain it that often.

"We as athletes in the high press and defensively, we were highly concentrated on our assigned tasks. There was extensive movement and plenty of defending. But ultimately that's what got the job done. I think that you have to be content securing victories in that manner as well."

On Arsenal and England legend Kelly Smith being her idol:

"I was fortunate of watching her a couple of occasions with my father. Seeing her for England, too, she was just incredible. I wish 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 say the same thing and I didn't have the chance of experiencing that. But observing her play was something that I always used to love."

The striker scored twelve goals in 21 games in the WSL the previous campaign to divide the scoring award.

She was not just one of the deadliest players in the league but Russo was also a constant threat in the penalty area all season long, attempting more efforts (seventy-three) and having a higher expected goals tally (nine point seven) than all her peers.

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

Team-mate a teammate regularly played progressive passes into Russo, so effective ball retention was essential.

Her skill to retreat into midfield, creating space from her nearby marker through sharp, darting movements was notable.

If a marker got in tight, Russo used her physicality to win free-kicks, helping her team gain settled possession in the enemy territory. In the European tournament the prior year, nobody was fouled more than the forward (fifteen).

When the ball does stick, her control are highly effective. Her regular awareness of her surroundings means she stays conscious of where opponents are.

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

By keeping possession in difficult scenarios, Russo is regularly able to act as an outlet for her side in trouble.

She can turn difficult passes into extended spells of controlled play and these possessions in the attacking zone lead to goals, many of which she ends up scoring herself.