According to a report by London Evening Standard on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, Arsenal forward Alessia Russo has been nominated for the 2026 BBC Women's Footballer of the Year award following her impressive performances for both club and country.

The England international is among the five players shortlisted for the prestigious individual award, with supporters now given the opportunity to vote for their preferred winner.

Russo's nomination recognises her excellent performances during the 2025–26 season, which proved to be the most productive campaign of her career so far and further established her as one of the leading players in women's football.

The BBC announced the five-player shortlist on Tuesday morning, with Arsenal also confirming Russo's nomination through their official website.

She will compete against Temwa Chawinga, Ewa Pajor, Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw and Alexia Putellas for the award. The nominees were selected by an expert panel made up of journalists, coaches, and current and former footballers.

The final decision will be made through a public vote, allowing fans to choose the winner. Voting is scheduled to close at 9am GMT on Wednesday, November 18.

The award is celebrating its 12th edition this year, with the winner set to be announced for the first time during the BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony on December 13.

Russo has a strong case for winning the award after scoring 24 goals in 40 appearances across all competitions for Arsenal last season.

One of her most memorable performances came in March when she scored a hat-trick during Arsenal's impressive 5-2 victory over Tottenham in the north London derby.

She also played an important role in helping the Gunners win their first-ever Women's Champions Cup title. Arsenal defeated Brazilian side Corinthians 3-2 after extra time to lift the trophy.

Russo described the achievement as special, particularly because Arsenal became the first team to win the competition.

The striker also reached an important milestone with England in April after scoring her 30th goal for the senior national team. The achievement moved her into the top 10 highest goalscorers in the history of the Lionesses.

Previous Arsenal players who have won the BBC Women's Footballer of the Year award include Vivianne Miedema in 2021, Beth Mead in 2022 and Kim Little in 2016.

Russo finished second in last year's voting and will now be hoping to go one step further by winning the prestigious award for the first time.