Women's Soccer Player of the Year Contender Alessia Russo

Age: 26 Position: Forward Clubs: Arsenal and England

The talented forward made history with Arsenal as they emerged as the first English team to win the Women's Champions League since the Gunners did in 2008, and also played a key role in leading England to the successful retention of their European Championship crown.

Russo found the net in the Euro 2025 final and hit top form for her team, making significant contributions all campaign long in front of goal and with her defensive efforts.

Russo was honored as the Football Writers' Association's top female player for the previous campaign.

Russo finished as the Women's Super League's co-leading goalscorer, earning a share of the Golden Boot with her rival striker.

She scored twelve league goals for the club and provided assists for a couple more.

She was also nominated for the prestigious individual award and named in the PFA and the Uefa Champions League teams of the year.

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

"My top performances come when I'm enjoying myself and I know 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 striker's role, it's so detailed and there are tiny differences. I continue to develop. We have great coaches here at Arsenal. I have great players to learn off as well. Then when the big games arrive, the more you do them, the more you get used to them."

On winning Euro 2025 with England:

"The whole tournament was a total emotional ride. It was highs and lows. It was emotionally really hard. It was taxing on our bodies.

"I remember after the last-eight game, many players were extremely sore and injured. 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 grit and resilience. And we were aware that we had the squad, we knew that we had the necessary qualities.

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

On the Champions League final:

"The overriding feeling that I can remember from that entire occasion was just being so calm, like we were confident we'd done the work, we knew that we had the ability, and we knew that we believed in the strategy and what we wanted to do.

"Obviously playing against a side such as Barça, you've got to be comfortable not having the ball because their skill is exceptional. When they do have the ball, they retain it frequently.

"We as athletes in the press and defensively, we were highly concentrated on our assigned tasks. There was extensive movement and a lot of defensive work. But in the end that's what got the job done. I think that you have to be OK securing victories in that manner 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, she was just incredible. I hope that her career lasted more and still be playing now, but she ranks among the greats.

"I think anyone that has played with Kelly would agree and I never got the pleasure of doing that. But observing her play was someone that I always used to love."

The striker scored twelve goals in 21 games in the Women's Super League the previous campaign to share the scoring award.

She was not just one of the most clinical players in the league but she was also a constant threat in the box throughout the campaign, attempting more efforts (seventy-three) and having a higher expected goals tally (nine point seven) than all her peers.

Her capability to aid the side outside of her goals distinguishes her.

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

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

If a marker got in tight, she used her physicality to draw fouls, assisting the side gain settled possession in the opponents' half. In the Champions' League the prior year, no player was fouled more than the forward (15).

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

She uses few contacts on the ball, directing it away from defenders applying player-to-player pressure, before locating close colleagues oriented forward.

By keeping possession in tough situations, Russo is often capable 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 lead to goals, several of these she ends up scoring herself.