Female Soccer Player of the Year Candidate Alessia Russo

Years Old: 26 Playing Role: Striker Teams: Arsenal and the English national team

Alessia Russo created a legacy with Arsenal as they became the first English team to claim victory in the prestigious European competition since the Gunners did in the 2000s, and also played a key role in leading England to the defence of their continental crown.

She scored in the Euro 2025 showpiece match and hit top form for her team, making significant contributions throughout the season as an attacker and with her work off the ball.

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

Russo finished as the Women's Super League's joint top scorer, sharing the top scorer award with Khadija Shaw.

Russo netted twelve WSL goals for the club and set up for a couple more.

Her name was put forward for the prestigious individual award and selected in the PFA and the European teams of the year.

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

"I play my best football when I'm enjoying myself and I'm confident I'm training hard and I'm getting my work done, so that's something that are within my power.

"There's so many different aspects to a striker's role, it requires precision and there are tiny differences. I'm always still learning. Our staff is excellent here at Arsenal. There are top teammates to gain knowledge from as well. Then when the important matches arrive, the greater your experience, the more comfortable you become."

On winning Euro 2025 with England:

"The whole tournament was a complete rollercoaster. 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. It was so intense. 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 squad, we knew that we had what it takes.

"You're playing against the best teams in the world, the elite athletes in the world and occasionally you have to win a little bit dirty."

Discussing the European final:

"The main emotion that stands out 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 wanted to do.

"Naturally playing against a side such as Barça, you must accept not having the ball because they're so talented. When in possession, they don't give it away that often.

"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 in the end that's what got the job done. In my opinion you have to be OK winning games like that as well."

On Arsenal and England legend Kelly Smith being her idol:

"I got the pleasure of seeing her play a couple of occasions with my dad. Watching her internationally, too, her talent was remarkable. 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 agree and I never got the pleasure of experiencing that. But watching her was something that I always used to love."

The striker notched 12 goals in twenty-one games in the WSL last season to divide the Golden Boot.

Not only was she one of the deadliest players in the competition but she was also a constant threat in the box all season long, taking more shots (seventy-three) and recording a superior xG (nine point seven) than all her peers.

Her capability to contribute to the team beyond scoring sets her apart.

Fellow player a teammate regularly played forward balls into Russo, so strong hold-up play was essential.

Russo's ability to drop deep, freeing herself from her opposing defender through quick, incisive runs stood out.

If a defender got in tight, she used her physicality to win free-kicks, assisting the side gain settled possession in the opponents' half. In the Champions' League the prior year, no player was fouled more than the Arsenal striker (fifteen).

When the play settles, Russo's touches are extremely efficient. Her regular awareness of her surroundings means she stays conscious of where opponents are.

She uses minimal touches on the ball, directing it away from defenders marking closely, before locating nearby team-mates positioned facing towards the goal.

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

She is able convert tough balls into long periods of stable possession and these possessions in the attacking zone result in scores, many of which she ends up scoring herself.