Female Soccer Player of the Year Candidate Alessia Russo

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

The talented forward created a legacy with Arsenal as they emerged as the pioneering English team to win the prestigious European competition since the North London side did in the 2000s, and also helped guide the Lionesses to the successful retention of their continental title.

Russo found the net in the European Championship final and hit top form for her club, playing a crucial role throughout the season in front of goal and with her work off the ball.

Russo was honored as the FWA's top female player for last season.

Russo finished as the WSL's joint top scorer, earning a share of the Golden Boot with her rival striker.

Russo netted twelve league goals for the club 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 Uefa Champions League teams of the year.

Her thoughts on personal development over the previous season:

"I play my best football when I'm enjoying myself and I know I'm training hard and completing my tasks, so those are aspects that I can always control.

"There's so many different aspects to a striker's role, it requires precision and there are so many fine margins. I continue to develop. Our staff is excellent here at the club. There are top teammates to learn off as well. Then when the important matches come around, the greater your experience, the more you get used to them."

On winning Euro 2025 with England:

"The whole tournament was a complete rollercoaster. There were ups and downs. It was emotionally really hard. It was taxing on our bodies.

"I recall after the last-eight game, many players were really, really battered and bruised. 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 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.

"Facing the top sides 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 very composed, like we were confident our preparation was complete, 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 must accept not possessing the ball because their skill is exceptional. When they do have the ball, they retain it frequently.

"We as athletes in the high press and defensively, we were highly concentrated on our assigned tasks. It was a lot of running and plenty of defending. But in the end 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 few times with my father. Watching her internationally, too, her talent was remarkable. I wish that her career lasted more and still be playing now, but she ranks among the greats.

"I believe those who teamed up with her would say the same thing and I didn't have the chance of experiencing that. But observing her play was something that I greatly admired."

The striker scored twelve goals in twenty-one games in the Women's Super League last season to divide the Golden Boot.

She was not just one of the most clinical players in the league but she was also a constant threat in the penalty area all season long, taking more shots (seventy-three) and having a higher expected goals tally (nine point seven) than any other player.

Russo's ability to aid the side outside of her goals distinguishes her.

Fellow player a teammate regularly played forward balls into Russo, so effective ball retention was necessary.

Her skill to drop deep, creating space from her nearby marker through quick, incisive runs stood out.

If a defender got too close, she used her physicality to draw fouls, assisting the side secure the ball in the enemy territory. In the European tournament last season, no player was drawn more fouls than the Arsenal striker (15).

When the ball does stick, her control are extremely efficient. Her frequent scanning of her surroundings means she stays conscious of where opponents are.

Russo takes few contacts on the ball, directing it away from opposing players marking closely, before finding close colleagues oriented forward.

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

She is able turn difficult passes into extended spells of stable possession and these possessions in the opponent's final third result in scores, several of these she finishes personally.