By TARA ANSON-WALSH, FOOTBALL REPORTER
Published: 04:00 EST, 15 November 2025 | Updated: 04:00 EST, 15 November 2025
Whether it’s Lotte Wubben-Moy penning a letter to Boris Johnson’s government urging them to make football more readily available to girls in schools, or Ella Toone setting up her own ET7 Academy, England’s Lionesses are keenly aware of seizing the moment.
Women’s football has never been more popular, and this generation of players are determined to make sure the surge in attention becomes lasting change. Alessia Russo is one of those leading the charge.
For the Arsenal and England striker, that means creating opportunities for girls who might otherwise drift away from the game — starting with her own foundation and a brand new tournament in her name.
It takes Russo over an hour to sign every single shirt, boot and bag belonging to the nearly 200 girls who take part in her inaugural Alessia Russo Cup. She refuses to leave until she’s met every one of them.
‘I’m glad I didn’t miss one of them (when signing autographs), because I wasn’t able to make it for all the tournament,’ the 26-year-old says. ‘I know how much this whole day would have meant to me when I was this age.’
The event – a one-day competition for 12–14-year-olds from schools across north and east London – isn’t a mere publicity stunt. Russo’s parents and brothers are here too, a quiet reminder of the role her own family played in getting the two-time European champions and Champions League winner to this point.
Women’s football has never been more popular, and this generation of players are determined to make sure the surge in attention becomes lasting change - Alessia Russo being one of them
‘I think we often talk about what ideas we have outside of football, especially me and Ella (Toone) with her academy and me launching this foundation,’ the Arsenal forward says
‘Long-term I want it to achieve a lot; I’ve probably got way too big ideas before it’s even possible,’ Russo admits. ‘But I’m specifically looking at girls within school age, so 11 to 18 ideally, and then we’ll narrow it down for different things.
‘When I was in school, I was fortunate to have really good people around me and a passion in football. I know that not everyone has that. It can be tough. School is definitely a focus point for mine.’
Russo laughs as she recalls the chaos of the day. ‘I actually did an interview up there (in the stands) with the BBC, and one of the young girls was interviewing me. And she did great! She smashed it. I think it was so nice, because for her it was a cool experience. She did better than all of you lot! They were taking their boots off for me to sign, after they’d played for four hours in them. They were all sweaty.’
The fame of the Lionesses has come fast, but Russo and her teammates still remember what it took to get here. And it’s that memory – of fighting for pitches, coaches and opportunities – that’s driving them to make sure the next generation doesn’t have to.
‘No, it is tough. It’s a responsibility, but it’s a responsibility that I enjoy,’ she continues. ‘Football is so intense that doing stuff like this makes me happy. This is what I want to do for the next generation. On the pitch is amazing — I totally want to win every game I play — but stuff like this means a little bit more, in the sense that you can see the passion of these young girls. Hopefully they remember this for a long time.’
That passion is what drives Russo and her teammates. The Lionesses know they’re living through a golden period — but one that needs to be built upon, not taken for granted.
‘I think we often talk about what ideas we have outside of football, especially me and Ella (Toone) with her academy and me launching this foundation,’ she says. ‘We’ve already spoken about how we can collaborate and do something really cool.
‘We’re both passionate about it and so are so many of the girls in the team. When you get to where we are, there is so much that comes with it — pressures, highs and lows. Doing something like this a real switch-off from it.
The Lionesses know they’re living through a golden period and their connection to their roots, Russo says, is what sets this group of Lionesses apart compared to those in the men’s game
The Arsenal and England striker has created with her own foundation and a brand new tournament in her name to create more opportunities for young girls interested in the game
‘I think it’s something we’re all passionate about, because we all know the growth of the game has happened really fast. But we also know where we all started. I think that’s what’s really unique about the women’s game, because we’re all looking at what we can do to leave it even better.’
That connection to their roots, Russo says, is what sets this group of Lionesses apart compared to those in the men's game.
‘I wouldn’t say I feel a pressure,’ she explains. ‘I would say the one thing that is so unique about women’s football is that we’re so connected to our past and our roots of how we got into football. And I’m sure that’s the same in the men’s game, but it’s just different, isn’t it.
‘We’re so aware of that as female players. Men’s and women’s football is different. I love the part of women’s football that we can come and do this, because it means a lot to me, it means a lot to the girls that we got to see.
‘I think the way that the men’s game has been so elite for so many years obviously plays a part. Ours is still growing and still getting better, but I don’t feel a pressure. I do feel a responsibility — I want to do it while I am at where I am. I just think that, if not, when I retire I’ll look back and maybe miss out on a chance that I could have done while I’m here.’
She adds: ‘Seeing how much these young girls love seeing us is crazy. I just see myself as a normal person and then, coming here, it’s crazy to see how much of an impact we have.
'It brings you back down to earth. You get to connect with some young talented footballers. And it’s just nice to see where I was ten years ago, playing in these kinds of tournaments.’