By OkayGoal
Alessia Russo now has the Women’s Champions League scoring record for an English player all to herself. The Arsenal forward hit a hat-trick in a 3-0 league phase win over Benfica at Meadow Park on Wednesday night, taking her tally in the competition to 23 and moving clear of former Chelsea striker Fran Kirby.
Russo wore the captain’s armband in Borehamwood, and England head coach Sarina Wiegman was in the stands to see it. UEFA named her Player of the Match.
“I love playing in the Champions League and I love scoring goals.” Russo reflects after her UWCL hat-trick against Benfica
Arsenal Women (@ArsenalWFC) October 28, 2026
Three goals, three different finishes
The opener came in the 39th minute from a Caitlin Foord assist, as Russo swept a low shot across Benfica goalkeeper Lena Pauels. That was her 21st goal in the competition and drew her level with Kirby. In the 66th minute she met a Steph Catley corner and glanced a header into the bottom corner to take the record outright.
The third arrived from the penalty spot in the 79th minute, after Catarina Amado brought down Foord in the area. Foord thought she had added a fourth in stoppage time, but it was chalked off because Russo was offside in the build-up. BBC Sport’s report notes that Russo had 14 touches in the Benfica box, more than any of her teammates, even though she started behind Olivia Smith in a number 10 role.
“She is everything”
Head coach Renee Slegers struggled to keep her praise short when she spoke to Disney+ after the match. “She is everything. It’s hard to know where to start,” she said, before adding that working with Russo was “a privilege”.
Russo herself linked the result to the weekend. “We said that the North London derby wouldn’t have meant anything if we didn’t back it up tonight, so it was really important,” she told Sky Sports. Foord was just as pleased for her teammate: “It’s incredible for Less, I am so happy for her.”
Form returning at the right time
It has not been a smooth autumn for Russo or her club. She failed to score in her first five games of the season, but now has nine goals in her last seven outings for Arsenal and England. On Monday she was the highest placed English player at the Ballon d’Or Féminin, finishing ninth in the ceremony where Alexia Putellas won a third award.
Wednesday made it two wins in a row for Arsenal, a first this season. It followed Saturday’s derby victory over Tottenham that ended a five-game winless run in the Women’s Super League. That run included the draw in which Olivia Smith rescued a point against Birmingham City. Slegers’ side still sit ten points behind WSL leaders Manchester City after seven league games.
In Europe the picture is brighter. The win lifts Arsenal to second in the league phase table on seven points, while Benfica drop to 11th. Their next Champions League fixture is a trip to Barcelona on 12 November, the side they beat to lift the trophy in 2025.
The record will mean a lot to an England striker, but there is still a long way to go at the top of the all-time list. Lyon’s Ada Hegerberg holds that mark with 69 goals.
