Alessia Russo, of Arsenal and England, has lent her name to a new trophy for girls as part of an initiative intended to increase participation in football.
Media giant Sky has announced the project as an element of its new report Game Changing: How Sport Gives Every Girl a Better Future, working with Russo and UK charity Goals 4 Girls to launch the Alessia Cup, creating opportunities for teenagers from under-served backgrounds to participate in grassroots football.
“I’m proud to launch The Alessia Cup in partnership with Goals 4 Girls and Sky, giving more girls the chance to play the game I love,” Russo said in a statement. “Together, we’re creating opportunities that build confidence, resilience, and leadership far beyond the pitch.”
Dana Strong, group CEO of Sky, said: “By age 11, nearly one in three girls stop believing sport is for them – proven not to be just a personal loss, but a national one. Broadcasters like Sky have a crucial role to play in driving access and visibility of women’s sport, but this alone won’t close the gap. We need to break down the barriers that tell young girls they don’t belong. With bold investment and collaborative action across government, education, and media, we can build a future where every girl is welcomed to the game.”
Alessia Russo and her work to promote girls’ football
The report highlights the economic advantages of supporting girls and women into sporting activity, suggesting that it could generate £570 million in annual productivity gains and save the NHS £73 million a year.
Sky is also calling for the introduction of a targeted tax relief on the production of women’s sport, arguing that with more than half of girls saying that watching professional athletes inspires them to play, the government should co-invest in the sector’s future growth to boost visibility and showcase more female athletes.
Russo and her England team-mates have been extremely vocal about supporting girls and giving them the opportunity to play sport. After winning the Euros in 2022, they issued an open letter to Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss, then candidates for the leadership of the Conservative Party, asking them to commit to ensuring that girls in primary school had two hours of physical education per week as well as the support and guidance of trained female teachers. They pointed out at the time that only 63 per cent of girls of that age had the chance to play football in school.
