Age: 26 Playing Role: Striker Clubs: The Gunners and England
Alessia Russo created a legacy with her club as they became the first English team to claim victory in the Women's Champions League since the North London side did in 2008, and also played a key role in leading the Lionesses to the defence of their continental crown.
Russo found the net in the Euro 2025 showpiece match and found her groove for her club, playing a crucial role all campaign long as an attacker and with her defensive efforts.
The forward was named the Football Writers' Association's women's footballer of the year for the previous campaign.
She was the WSL's co-leading goalscorer, earning a share of the top scorer award with her rival striker.
Russo netted twelve league goals for Arsenal and provided assists for a further two.
Her name was put forward for the 2025 Ballon d'Or and named in the Professional Footballers' Association and the Uefa Champions League season's best XIs.
Russo on how she feels she has improved over the previous season:
"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 I can always control.
"Numerous elements to a number nine position, it requires precision and there are tiny differences. I continue to develop. Our staff is excellent here at the club. I have great players to gain knowledge from as well. Then when the big games come around, the more you do them, the more comfortable you become."
On winning Euro 2025 with England:
"The whole tournament was a complete rollercoaster. It was highs and lows. It was emotionally really hard. It was taxing on our bodies.
"I recall after the last-eight game, a lot of us were really, really battered and bruised. The pressure was immense. But you've got to turn it around quickly. The schedule is relentless.
"I think the way that we won during the event was just grit and resilience. And I think that we knew that we had the team, we knew that we had the necessary qualities.
"Facing the best teams in the world, the best players in the world and sometimes you have to win a little bit dirty."
Discussing the European final:
"The overriding feeling that I can remember from that entire occasion was just being so calm, like we knew we'd done the work, we knew that we had the ability, and we knew that we trusted 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 in possession, they don't give it away that often.
"We as athletes in the high press and out of possession, we were really focused on our job at hand. It was a lot of running and plenty of defending. But in the end that led to success. I think that you have to be content winning games like that as well."
Regarding her inspiration, Kelly Smith:
"I got the pleasure of watching her a few times with my father. Watching her internationally, too, her talent was remarkable. I hope that she could have played longer 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 never got the pleasure of doing that. But watching her was someone that I greatly admired."
The striker scored 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 league but Russo was also a persistent danger in the penalty area all season long, taking more shots (73) and recording a superior xG (nine point seven) than all her peers.
Her capability to aid the side outside of her goals distinguishes her.
Team-mate Mariona Caldentey regularly played progressive passes into her, so effective ball retention was essential.
Russo's ability to drop deep, creating space from her nearby marker through quick, incisive runs was notable.
If a marker got too close, she used her body well to draw fouls, helping her team gain settled possession in the enemy territory. In the European tournament last season, no player was fouled more than the Arsenal striker (fifteen).
When the play settles, Russo's touches are highly effective. Her regular awareness of her surroundings means she stays conscious of where rivals are.
Russo takes few contacts on the ball, directing it away from defenders marking closely, before finding nearby team-mates positioned facing towards the goal.
By retaining the ball in difficult scenarios, she is regularly able to act as an outlet for her team under pressure.
She is able turn difficult passes into extended spells of controlled play and these possessions in the attacking zone result in scores, many of which she ends up scoring herself.
