'World's most beautiful footballer' joins fifth club in two years

July 25, 2026 • 0 • min read

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'World's most beautiful footballer' joins fifth club in two years

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Ana Maria Marković has signed for Hajduk Split after spells in Portugal and the United States.
A devastating knee injury in 2023 disrupted her career and halted her goalscoring form.
The Croatia international hopes returning home will revive her career.

Ana Maria Marković has completed a move to Hajduk Split, becoming the fifth club of her career in just over two years as she looks to rebuild following the serious injury that dramatically altered her football journey.

The Croatia international forward has signed for the reigning Croatian champions and will wear the No. 23 shirt as Hajduk strengthen their attacking options ahead of the new campaign.

The move represents a homecoming of sorts for the 26-year-old, who described joining Hajduk as a lifelong dream.

Career changed by devastating 2023 injury

Marković's promising career took a dramatic turn in March 2023 whilst playing for Swiss side Grasshopper in the Zurich derby against FC Zurich.

The striker suffered one of the most serious injuries of her career, tearing her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), damaging her meniscus and breaking her lower leg in the same incident.

The lengthy rehabilitation required surgery and months of recovery, with Marković regularly documenting her progress for her 2.7 million Instagram followers.

Reflecting on the ordeal in an interview with Red Bull, she admitted:

I knew my whole knee was wrecked. I cried for four days straight.

She also criticised the condition of the pitch where the injury occurred.

Although she successfully returned to professional football, Marković has yet to rediscover the form that made her one of Croatia's brightest attacking talents. She has not scored a competitive goal since her final months at Grasshopper before the injury.

Fifth club in two years

Since leaving Switzerland, Marković has embarked on a football journey spanning three countries.

She initially followed boyfriend Tomás Ribeiro to Portugal after the defender joined Vitória Guimarães, signing for Braga in search of a fresh start.

However, opportunities proved limited, with the striker making only three competitive appearances before departing eight months later.

She remained in Portugal by joining Damaiense before making another move in 2025 to Brooklyn FC in the United States, where she reunited with her sister, Kiki Marković.

Now, Hajduk becomes the latest stop in her quest to reignite a career once viewed as one of Croatia's most promising.

Born in Switzerland, chose Croatia

Although widely associated with Croatia, Marković was actually born in Zurich.

She recently laughed off a long-standing Wikipedia error that incorrectly listed Split as her birthplace.

Thank you Wikipedia for spreading false information for five years. Can you delete it now.

Despite being born in Switzerland, Marković chose to represent Croatia internationally and progressed through the Swiss club system before establishing herself on the international stage.

Beyond football

Marković has remained one of the sport's most recognisable personalities throughout her recovery, often being referred to as the "world's most beautiful footballer" - a label she has previously said she is not entirely comfortable with, preferring her footballing ability to receive equal attention.

She also attracted widespread attention in 2024 after training alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, whilst fans will also recognise her as a former Croatia team-mate of Alisha Lehmann.

Earlier this summer, Marković jokingly revealed she had banished Ribeiro from their bed whilst Croatia faced Portugal at the FIFA Women's World Cup, although Portugal ultimately claimed victory.

Now back in Croatia and wearing Hajduk's famous white shirt, Marković will hope this latest move provides the stability have eluded her since returning from one of the toughest injuries of her career.