As of 12 September 2026, no romantic partner for Alessia Russo has been publicly verified through authoritative or first-person sources. That does not mean the Arsenal and England forward is necessarily single; her current relationship status is simply not publicly confirmed.
What is well documented is Russo’s rise through English and international football. Born in Maidstone in 1999, she has played for Manchester United and Arsenal, won the European Championship twice with England, lifted the UEFA Women’s Champions League with Arsenal, finished third in the 2025 Women’s Ballon d’Or and received an MBE for services to Association Football in 2026.
Key takeaways
- No current partner for Alessia Russo has been publicly verified as of 12 September 2026.
- Online claims that Russo is definitely single go further than the evidence supports.
- Patrick Brough has been linked to Russo in online speculation, but no reliable source confirms a romantic relationship.
- Russo has described Ella Toone as a longstanding best friend.
- Russo remains a central Arsenal and England forward, with major honours at club and international level.
Alessia Russo profile summary
| Detail | Verified information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Alessia Mia Teresa Russo |
| Date of birth | 8 February 1999 |
| Age | 27 as of 12 September 2026 |
| Birthplace | Maidstone, England |
| Height | 5ft 9in / 175cm |
| Position | Forward |
| Club | Arsenal WFC |
| England debut | 11 March 2020 |
| England record | 67 caps, 30 goals as of the research check |
The main biographical details above are recorded in England Football’s official Alessia Russo profile, while the University of North Carolina documents her full name and college career.
Relationship status and the Patrick Brough rumour
Russo has not publicly identified a current boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse or fiancé in the reliable sources reviewed for this profile. The safest description of her personal life is therefore that her relationship status is not publicly confirmed.
That distinction matters because some celebrity-biography pages describe Russo as single simply because no partner has been announced. Absence of a public relationship statement cannot establish someone’s private status.
Patrick Brough is the name most often linked to Russo in online dating speculation. The claim appears to stem largely from an old photograph and social-media interaction dating back to 2017. Even secondary articles that repeat the connection acknowledge that neither Russo nor Brough publicly confirmed a relationship.
For that reason, Brough should not be described as Russo’s boyfriend, former boyfriend or ex-partner. The evidence supports only the existence of an unverified online rumour.
Russo’s close friendship with England teammate Ella Toone has also attracted interest, but Russo herself has been clear about the nature of their relationship. In a joint British GQ interview, she described Toone as her best friend and said they had known each other since they were around 12 or 13. Their documented friendship is not evidence of a romantic relationship.
Early life and family
Alessia Mia Teresa Russo was born on 8 February 1999 in Maidstone, Kent. Football was part of her upbringing from an early age.
In a 2025 BBC Sport interview, Russo spoke about growing up around her two older brothers and playing football with them. Her father coached their team, while her parents supported her involvement in sport.
Teachers also helped move her toward competitive football. Russo recalled being encouraged to pursue county teams and academy trials, eventually earning a place at Charlton Athletic’s Centre of Excellence.
Her early development later included Chelsea’s youth structure and a spell with Brighton & Hove Albion. England Football also identifies Bearsted Girls among her grassroots clubs.
Sport has remained part of Russo’s family story. Her brother Giorgio later appeared on Love Island, while her brother Luca works in football and has represented her professionally. The Football Association’s 2025-26 football-agent transaction register records Luca Russo as the agent connected to an updated Arsenal contract transaction involving Alessia.
The North Carolina years
At 18, Russo moved to the United States to play college soccer for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels.
The UNC Athletics profile lists her as an exercise and sport science major and records a college career in which she quickly became one of North Carolina’s leading attacking players.
Her progress was interrupted in 2018 when she broke her leg and underwent surgery on 29 October, ending her season. Russo returned in 2019 and again became a major scorer for the Tar Heels.
The American college period gave Russo another route to elite football at a time when she had already been through several English development systems. She eventually returned to England and resumed her professional career rather than using her final year of college eligibility.
Manchester United and the move to Arsenal
Russo signed for Manchester United in September 2020, joining the club she had supported while growing up.
Her first season was disrupted by a hamstring injury, but she developed into one of United’s most important forwards. By the 2022-23 campaign, her performances had attracted interest from Arsenal.
Russo left Manchester United when her contract expired and joined Arsenal in July 2023.
The transfer put her in a team competing regularly for domestic honours and the UEFA Women’s Champions League. She won the Women’s League Cup with Arsenal in 2024 before becoming a central figure in the club’s European success the following season.
According to UEFA’s record of Russo’s career and tournament performances, she scored seven goals during the group and knockout stages of Arsenal’s 2024-25 Women’s Champions League-winning campaign and was selected in UEFA’s Team of the Season.
Her domestic form also brought individual recognition. Russo was named the Football Writers’ Association Women’s Footballer of the Year in 2025.
England breakthrough and tournament success
Russo made her senior England debut against Spain on 11 March 2020, but Euro 2022 was the tournament that pushed her into much wider public view.
Used mainly as a substitute, she scored four goals as England won the European Championship. Her backheel against Sweden in the semi-final became one of the tournament’s defining goals and was selected by UEFA’s Technical Observer Group and supporters as the goal of the competition.
At the 2023 Women’s World Cup, Russo played in all seven of England’s matches and scored three goals as the Lionesses reached the final.
Two years later, she helped England retain the European title at Euro 2025. Russo scored twice and provided three assists during the tournament, including heading England’s equaliser against Spain in the final before the Lionesses won on penalties. UEFA selected her in its Team of the Tournament.
Those performances also strengthened her standing individually. Russo finished third in the 2025 Women’s Ballon d’Or.
Current status and recognition in 2026
Russo remained one of Arsenal and England’s leading attacking players through 2026.
England Football reported that she finished the 2025-26 club campaign with 22 goals and eight assists across the Women’s Super League and Champions League combined. In April 2026, a goal against Iceland took her to 30 senior England goals.
Her contribution to football also received formal recognition. The 2026 King’s Birthday Honours list appointed Alessia Mia Teresa Russo an MBE for services to Association Football.
In September 2026, England Football also named her among the 30 nominees for the 2026 Women’s Ballon d’Or. As of the 12 September research check, England’s official profile listed Russo with 67 senior caps and 30 goals.
Those numbers will change as her international career continues, but the broader picture is already clear: Russo has moved from youth and college football into a central role for one of England’s biggest clubs and a national side that has reached three successive major tournament finals from 2022 to 2025.
Life beyond the pitch
Russo has publicly shared more about her family, friendships and football experiences than about her romantic life.
Her friendship with Toone stretches back to their early teens, while her family has remained connected to her football story from childhood through to professional representation. During Euro 2025, Russo also spoke in a BBC Sport fan Q&A about spending downtime with teammates, friends and family, swimming in Swiss lakes and fitting in afternoon naps between matches.
These are the parts of her personal life she has chosen to discuss publicly. They provide useful context without requiring assumptions about areas she has not addressed.
Conclusion
The reliable answer to searches about Alessia Russo’s partner is that no romantic partner had been publicly verified as of 12 September 2026. That should not be rewritten as proof that she is single, nor should old photographs or close friendships be treated as evidence of a relationship.
Russo’s documented public story is much clearer elsewhere: a path from youth football in Kent to North Carolina, Manchester United and Arsenal; European titles with England; Champions League success at club level; an MBE; and continued recognition among the leading players in the women’s game.
