Brooklyn FC within the not too long ago established USL Gainbridge Tremendous League have introduced the signing of Croatian ahead Ana Maria Markovic.
The 25-year-old, who has been dubbed by followers and media because the ‘world’s most lovely footballer’, agreed to phrases with the membership which has simply begun to play its second season within the high tier of US girls’s soccer [the USL Super League shares this with the more established NWSL].
Brooklyn introduced the signing of Ana Maria in addition to her sister, Kiki, previous to the beginning of the season.
‘Signing with Brooklyn FC is an thrilling step for me,’ Marković mentioned. ‘I’ve performed in unimaginable locations, however I can already really feel the vitality round this membership and metropolis.
‘Sharing this expertise with my sister makes it much more particular, and we’re each right here to make an impression on the sphere.’
Markovic, born in Cut up however raised in Switzerland, performed membership soccer for FC Zürich and Grasshoppers earlier than making a transfer to Portuguese facet SC Braga.
Croatian ahead Ana Maria Markovic has signed for USL Tremendous League facet Brooklyn FC
Ana and her sister Kiki signed for the membership competing in its second season of existence
Markovic, who has 2.9million Instagram followers has now joined the fifth membership of her profession
Nevertheless, after signing for the membership in August of 2024, she left the membership this previous February.
Markovic’s transfer to Braga helped her transfer nearer to her accomplice, Portuguese footballer Tomas Ribiero.
Nevertheless, after he was moved from high flight facet Vitoria Guimaraes (situated about 25 km from Braga, within the northern a part of the nation) to Farense (within the very south), she filmed a TikTok which confirmed her saying goodbye.
In that video, she wrote ‘Generally I simply hate soccer’. The next week, Braga and Markovic mutually agreed to terminate her contract.
‘SC Braga informs that the Membership and Ana Maria Marković have terminated, by mutual settlement, the contract that united the 2 events,’ a membership assertion learn.
‘The Croatian worldwide performed 4 video games for the Gverreiras do Minho in her debut season in Portuguese soccer.
‘SC Braga thanks you for all of the dedication, dedication and professionalism with which you might have at all times represented the Membership and desires you all the perfect in your skilled and private future.’
Markovic has since adopted up with a message thanking her team-mates and followers for his or her assist, whereas teasing a future transfer.
‘Generally issues do not go as deliberate. After simply half a season, I made a decision to depart SC Braga. It was a brief however intense journey with ups and downs, however one through which I used to be in a position to develop and develop quite a bit as a footballer,’ she wrote on Instagram.
Markovic later accomplished a transfer to SF Damaiense in Amadora, close to Lisbon, but it surely’s unclear if she performed any matches for the membership.
The ahead has made 25 appearances for the Croatian nationwide staff so far, scoring twice
Markovic beforehand declared that she typically ‘hate[s] soccer’ after her accomplice, Portuguese defender Tomas Ribeiro, was transferred additional south from her membership
She has beforehand spoken out in an interview in opposition to being labelled as ‘horny’ by soccer followers
In Brooklyn’s debut match in opposition to Tampa Bay Solar FC, she got here on the pitch as an alternative to opening goalscorer Catherine Zimmerman to be a part of a 2-1 victory.
Markovic has acquired 25 caps for the Croatian nationwide staff, having most not too long ago made an look in a 2-1 loss to Albania within the 2025 UEFA Ladies’s Nations League. She has a pair of worldwide objectives, having final scored in opposition to Kosovo in June 2024.
In a 2022 interview with Swiss newspaper 20 Minuten, Markovic claimed that feminine gamers are discriminated in opposition to on social media way over their male counterparts, and are sometimes the butt of sexist feedback and jokes.
‘What makes the distinction between women and men is, for instance, after I present myself in a bikini on social media or when Erling Haaland [shows himself] in his swimming trunks.
‘Erling nearly actually would not get the identical sexist feedback.
‘We girls are good at standing up for one another, however what I want for is that males begin standing up for us too.
‘Males at all times speak about ”males of honour”, however it will be actually honourable in the event that they stood behind us in such conditions.’
Markovic added that her aim is to advocate equality and ‘be a job mannequin for younger footballers’ – beforehand hitting out at sleazy social media feedback and being labelled as ‘horny’.
