Female Soccer Player of the Year Contender Alessia Russo

Age: 26 Position: Forward Clubs: The Gunners and England

Alessia Russo made history with Arsenal as they emerged as the pioneering British team to win the Women's Champions League since the Gunners did in 2008, and also helped guide England to the successful retention of their continental title.

She scored in the Euro 2025 showpiece match and found her groove for her club, playing a crucial role all campaign long in front of goal and with her work off the ball.

The forward was named the FWA's top female player for last season.

She was the Women's Super League's joint top scorer, earning a share of the Golden Boot with Khadija Shaw.

Russo netted 12 WSL goals for the club and provided assists for a further two.

Her name was put forward for the 2025 Ballon d'Or and selected in the Professional Footballers' Association and the Uefa Champions League season's best XIs.

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

"I play my best football when I'm enjoying myself and I know my efforts in practice and I'm getting my work done, so those are aspects that are within my power.

"There's so many different aspects to a striker's role, it's so detailed and there are so many fine margins. I continue to develop. We have great coaches here at the club. There are top teammates to learn off as well. Then when the important matches come around, the more you do them, 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 was emotionally really hard. We were physically drained.

"I recall after the last-eight game, many players were extremely sore and injured. It was so intense. But you've got to turn it around quickly. The schedule is relentless.

"In my view 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.

"Facing the best teams 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 knew our preparation was complete, we knew that we had the ability, and we knew that we believed in the game plan and what we wanted to do.

"Obviously 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 press and defensively, we were highly concentrated on our job at hand. There was extensive movement and plenty of defending. But ultimately that led to success. In my opinion you have to be content winning games like that as well."

On Arsenal and England legend Kelly Smith being her idol:

"I was fortunate of watching her a couple of occasions with my dad. Seeing her for England, too, her talent was remarkable. I wish that she could have played longer and still be playing now, but she was one of the best ever.

"I think those who teamed up with her would say the same thing and I didn't have the chance of doing that. But watching her was someone that I greatly admired."

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

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

Her capability to aid the side beyond scoring sets her apart.

Team-mate Mariona Caldentey often delivered progressive passes into her, so strong hold-up play was necessary.

Russo's ability to drop deep, creating space from her opposing defender through sharp, darting movements stood out.

If a marker got in tight, she used her physicality to win free-kicks, helping her team secure the ball in the opponents' half. In the Champions' League last season, no player was drawn more fouls than the forward (15).

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

Russo takes few contacts on the ball, directing it away from defenders applying player-to-player pressure, before finding nearby team-mates oriented forward.

By keeping possession in tough situations, she is regularly able to act as an release option for her team under pressure.

She can turn difficult passes into extended spells of stable possession and such phases in the opponent's final third result in scores, many of which she ends up scoring herself.