Alessia Russo Hosts Tournament to Encourage Young Girls in Football
Dubbed the “Alessia Cup.”
Arsenal and England star Alessia Russo hosted a youth tournament for young girls in North London, bringing 180 girls from around the city together for a day of small-sided football, healthy competition and female empowerment. The “Alessia Cup” is a reedition of the annual Goals 4 Girls tournament, with the charity working in partnership with Arsenal and Russo’s foundation to put on a special event.
The tournament was born out of recent research that stated young girls in the U.K. miss out on 280 million hours of sport every year, with many barriers still preventing them from engaging in different sporting activities despite the progress made in the last few years. Russo was a part of the historic 2022 Lionesses squad that won the Euros and kickstarted a movement to give young girls increased accessibility and opportunities in all sports, not just football.
Off the back of two European trophies for club and country, Russo is one of the biggest faces of women’s football on the continent. Who better to spearhead this tournament than her? In addition to the tournament, Russo held a Q&A, signed autographs and met with the participants, giving the girls a rare opportunity for face time with one of their idols.
With the Alessia Cup and her foundation, she’s building a pathway for all the talented young girls that will follow in her footsteps. It’s one small tournament, but the impact of these actions has the potential to change the sporting landscape in the U.K.
In other news, Cherry Beagles and the 400 Club is changing the sports industry for women.
