Sky has partnered with The Alessia Russo Foundation and Goals 4 Girls to launch The Alessia Cup, with a shared ambition to create lasting change by removing barriers to participation.
The tournament – taking place on November 6 – aims to build confidence, resilience, and leadership beyond the pitch, while highlighting the importance of keeping girls engaged in sport during adolescence.
The competition brings together 180 girls aged 12 to 14 from schools across north and east London at a crucial age when drop-off from sport participation is at its highest.
The day will feature competitive matches and conclude with a prize-giving ceremony celebrating the players’ achievements, with Arsenal forward Alessia Russo attending to support the participants.
The tournament comes after a Public First report commissioned by Sky: Game Changing: How sport gives every girl a better chance, found that playing sport as a child is shown to be as strong an indicator of women reaching senior positions as a university degree, yet girls aged 11-18 miss out on 280 million hours of sport annually compared to boys.
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Sky calls for national action on girls’ sport as it teams up with Arsenal forward Alessia Russo to increase participation
The Alessia Russo Foundation – launched in October 2025 – is dedicated to creating opportunities for girls and young women to play sport with pride, learn with purpose, and live with power.
England forward Russo is passionate about tackling barriers such as low confidence, poor body image, limited representation, and lack of role models-all factors that contribute to girls dropping out of sport. Through her Foundation, she seeks to raise awareness, provide mentorship, and expand access to sport, education, and wellbeing resources.
The tournament’s other partner, Goals 4 Girls, is a London-based charity that empowers girls and young women aged seven plus through the powerful combination of football, personal development, and mental health support, helping to tackle inequality head-on.
