Female Footballer of the Year Candidate Alessia Russo

Age: 26 Playing Role: Striker Clubs: The Gunners and England

Alessia Russo made history with her club as they emerged as the pioneering British team to claim victory in the Women's Champions League since the Gunners did in the 2000s, and also played a key role in leading England to the successful retention of their European Championship crown.

She scored in the Euro 2025 showpiece match and hit top form for her team, playing a crucial role throughout the season as an attacker and with her defensive efforts.

Russo was named the FWA's top female player for the previous campaign.

She was the WSL's joint top scorer, sharing the top scorer award with her rival striker.

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

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

Her thoughts on personal development over the past year:

"My top performances come when I'm having fun and I'm confident I'm training hard and I'm getting my work done, so those are aspects that are within my power.

"There's so many different aspects to a number nine position, it requires precision 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 arrive, the greater your experience, the more you get used to them."

Reflecting on England's European triumph:

"The whole tournament was a total emotional ride. There were ups and downs. It tested us mentally. We were physically drained.

"I remember 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. It moves so fast.

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

"You're playing against the best teams in the world, the elite athletes in the world and sometimes you have to grind out results."

On the Champions League final:

"The main emotion that I can remember from that whole day was just being so calm, like we were confident our preparation was complete, we knew that we had what it takes, and we knew that we believed in the strategy and what we wanted to do.

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

"We as athletes in the press and out of possession, we were really focused on our assigned tasks. There was extensive movement and a lot of defensive work. 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 was fortunate of watching her a couple of occasions with my father. Seeing her for England, too, she was just incredible. I hope that her career lasted more and she was active today, but she ranks among the greats.

"I believe anyone that has played with Kelly would say the same thing and I didn't have the chance of doing that. But observing her play was someone that I greatly admired."

The striker notched 12 goals in 21 games in the WSL last season to divide the Golden Boot.

She was not just one of the deadliest players in the competition but she was also a constant threat in the box throughout the campaign, taking more shots (seventy-three) and recording a superior xG (9.7) than any other player.

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

Fellow player a teammate often delivered progressive passes into Russo, so effective ball retention was essential.

Her skill to drop deep, creating space from her opposing defender through sharp, darting movements was notable.

If a marker got too close, she used her body well to draw fouls, helping her team gain settled possession in the opponents' half. In the European tournament the prior year, no player was fouled more than the forward (15).

When the play settles, Russo's touches are highly effective. Her frequent scanning of her environment means she remains aware of where opponents are.

She uses minimal touches on the ball, directing it away from opposing players marking closely, before locating nearby team-mates oriented forward.

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

She is able convert tough balls into extended spells of stable possession and such phases in the opponent's final third result in scores, several of these she finishes personally.