'World's most beautiful footballer' joins fifth club in three years as fans question form

The "world's most beautiful footballer" has completed her move to a European powerhouse, marking her fifth club in just three years.

Ana Maria Markovic is slowly becoming everyone's favourite football journeywoman after the 26-year-old striker signed for Croatian giants Hajduk Split. Ana's stunning looks have earned her the tag from followers, and she is seemingly catching attention on the pitch too.

Her latest move represents her fifth club in three seasons as she returns to Europe following a spell in America with USL Super League side Brooklyn FC. She has previously played for Portuguese sides SF Damaiense and Braga, as well as Swiss outfit Grasshopper Zurich.

Ana shared a video to her 2.7 million Instagram followers showing her walking out in Hajduk's stadium, signing her contract and appearing in her first training session, alongside the caption: "New chapter."

However, fans have not been impressed with her recent performances, with football stats page Soccerdonna showing she last scored in February 2023 for Grasshopper. She has played three full seasons since, including at Brooklyn FC where she registered just one assist in 23 matches.

One user commented disparagingly: "Does anyone even know when she last scored a goal? It's all just for the photo op and nothing else…" A second critic said: "Good advertising, but zero points in terms of gameplay." While another claimed: "I've seen her play a few times—I won't comment; better not! And if my expert opinion isn't enough for you, go ahead and look at her stats—and let me remind you beforehand that she's a forward!"

Ana has been attempting to find her best form again since suffering a severe torn ACL, torn meniscus and a broken lower leg in March 2023 during a match against FC Zurich. The forward underwent a lengthy surgical recovery and rehabilitation process and documented her progress on social media.

Speaking in an interview with Red Bull about her ordeal, Ana said: "I knew my whole knee was wrecked. I cried for four days straight." She added that she was furious with the state of the pitch that day and vented that her male counterparts would not have played in such conditions.

"The pitch was practically unplayable that day; in some places, they had simply spread sand on it. And during warm-up, I jokingly said: 'I hope nobody gets injured today.'"

She continued: "I regularly attend conferences and talks because I want to open people's eyes and show them: Hey, we need help, and we can't get it if we're left to fend for ourselves."