Hajduk signs Ana Maria Marković: Croatian international and one of the most-followed female footballers arrives at Poljud
Croatian international forward Ana Maria Marković is a new ŽNK Hajduk player. The Split club officially confirmed the transfer on July 21, 2026, one day before the news spread through Croatian and international sports media. The 26-year-old footballer arrives at Poljud after a season with American side Brooklyn FC, a member of the professional USL Super League, and Hajduk presented her arrival as an important reinforcement ahead of the defense of the Croatian championship title and the start of European qualifying. Marković immediately joined head coach Damir Matulović's squad and was assigned the number 23 shirt. She can play as a center forward as well as in wide positions, giving Hajduk additional depth in the final third of the pitch.
The transfer is attracting attention beyond the usual boundaries of women's football. Marković is one of the most globally recognizable Croatian athletes on social media, and her Instagram profile was followed by approximately 2.7 million people in July 2026. During 2024, she took part in a promotional shoot with Cristiano Ronaldo for Binance, in which the two footballers tried their hand at table football and performed Ronaldo's trademark goal celebration. Nevertheless, the move to Hajduk is above all a sporting decision: the club is gaining an international player with experience in Switzerland, Portugal and the United States, while the player is receiving an opportunity to take on an important role in a team entering the most demanding season of its recent history.
A signing that also has family significance for Marković
Some earlier media reports incorrectly described Marković as being born in Split. Hajduk's official announcement states that she was born in Switzerland, where she grew up and began her football journey, while her family on her mother's side has roots in Split. That is precisely why she described signing for Hajduk as a return to a place that had long been important to her family. The club also presented her arrival through that emotional connection, but without diminishing the sporting expectations surrounding the transfer.
“A dream has come true for me. Hajduk has always been more than a club for my family and me. Following Hajduk from the diaspora was part of everyday life, and now wearing this shirt at Poljud brings special pride and responsibility,” Marković said at her official presentation. She added that she could hardly wait to play in front of the supporters and that she wanted to help the team achieve all its objectives during the season. Her statement demonstrates how important the identity-related dimension of the transfer is, but the outcome will be measured by her performances on the pitch, particularly in matches in which Hajduk need to break down an organized defense or increase the intensity of their pressing.
It is equally important for the club that Marković is arriving at an age at which she can combine international experience with competitive energy. She has already experienced different football cultures during her career, from the technically demanding Swiss championship and the Portuguese league to the American professional system. Such adaptability may be valuable in a team that will combine domestic commitments with European matches throughout the summer and autumn. During her presentation, Hajduk particularly emphasized her speed, dynamism and ability to play in several attacking positions.
From Zürich and Grasshopper to Portugal and New York
Marković developed as a footballer in FC Zürich's system and achieved full recognition at Grasshopper Club Zürich. According to information published by Brooklyn FC when she arrived in the United States in 2025, she made 57 league appearances for Grasshopper and scored four goals. The figures do not cover her entire contribution in cup competitions and other tournaments, but they show that she had already gained significant senior experience in Switzerland. Her performances in the country's Super League also opened the door to the Croatian national team, for which she made her debut in 2021.
Her development was temporarily halted by a serious knee injury in March 2023. The Croatian Football Federation reported at the time that she was injured in the league derby between Grasshopper and Zürich, and Marković had to undergo surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation process. Returning after such an injury was an important test of her physical and mental resilience. In the summer of 2024, she accepted a new challenge and signed for Portuguese side Braga, before later playing for Damaiense, also in the top tier of Portuguese women's football.
Brooklyn FC signed her in August 2025 together with her sister Kristina, also known as Kiki Marković. The American club announced at the time that both were joining as forwards and emphasized their leadership, character and winning mentality. For Ana Maria, the move to New York represented her first club engagement outside Europe. The USL Super League operates as a top-level American professional competition alongside the established NWSL, and its season, aligned with the international calendar, provided her with a different competitive and commercial context.
Her period in Brooklyn did not result in a long-term stay, but it broadened her experience and international visibility. By returning to Europe, Marković is entering an environment in which she should have a clearer role and greater responsibility in attack. Hajduk are not signing the player solely because of her recognizable name, but because of the need to strengthen their rotation ahead of matches in which intensity and squad depth will be decisive. In the domestic championship, she will be expected to contribute immediately through goals, assists, pressure on the opposition's back line and the creation of space for her teammates.
International experience and the battle for continuity
Marković made her senior debut for Croatia in 2021 after attracting attention with her performances in Switzerland. Brooklyn FC stated in August 2025 that she had made 20 appearances for Croatia by that point and scored two goals in major qualifying campaigns, for the 2023 World Cup and the 2025 European Championship. Braga described her as a regular member of the Croatian national team in November 2024, confirming that she was part of the wider squad during that period. Her international story has nevertheless included interruptions due to injury, club changes and competition for attacking positions.
Her arrival at Hajduk could help her rebuild continuity through increased playing time and a clearly defined tactical role. A Croatian club competing in European qualifying offers a stage on which performances are followed beyond national borders, while the domestic league provides a regular rhythm of matches. It is particularly important for a forward to accumulate uninterrupted minutes, because finishing instinct, well-timed runs and coordination with teammates are developed through continuity. At the same time, Marković will have to respond to the expectations arising from her name and demonstrate that, after several moves, she can become a stable leading player for the team.
Her international experience also brings additional value to Hajduk's dressing room. Playing in international qualifiers, traveling and adapting to different systems can help younger players encountering the European level for the first time. Her ability to communicate in several languages and her experience of living in different countries also facilitate functioning in the increasingly international world of women's football. However, the final assessment of the transfer will depend on her availability, physical condition and concrete impact in key matches.
Hajduk defend their first title and enter the European stage
ŽNK Hajduk won the Croatian championship in the 2025/26 season, mathematically securing the trophy on May 14, 2026, with a 4-0 victory over Međimurje. Head coach Damir Matulović's team then held an unassailable ten-point lead with three rounds remaining. Winning the championship marked a major step forward for the Split club's women's section and secured qualification for the UEFA Women's Champions League. In the new season, Hajduk will no longer be a team attacking from the position of challengers, but champions against whom opponents will have additional motivation.
Preparations for the season began on July 1, 2026, in Stobreč. According to the club's announcement, the first competitive tests are scheduled from August 4 to 8 at a Women's Champions League qualifying mini-tournament in Slovenia, while the defense of the domestic title begins on August 23. UEFA announced that Hajduk will play the second qualifying round semifinal against Austria Wien in Radenci on August 5. In the other semifinal of the same mini-tournament, hosts Mura face Romania's Farul Constanța, while the final and third-place match will be played on August 8.
Such a schedule leaves little time for the complete integration of new players. Marković will have to quickly become familiar with her teammates' movements, the coaching staff's demands and the way Hajduk build their attacks. Her ability to play centrally and out wide gives head coach Matulović more options: she can start as the most advanced player, cut inside from the wing toward goal or be used as a forward attacking the space behind the defense. In a tournament format, in which one match can determine an entire European season, such flexibility often has greater value than in a long league campaign.
European qualifying simultaneously represents a test for the entire ŽNK Hajduk project. The domestic title brought visibility and raised expectations, but international matches demand faster decision-making, greater physical resilience and a deeper bench. Marković's arrival shows that the club is trying to meet that challenge with players who have experience in stronger and more professionalized environments. Her transfer can therefore be viewed as part of a wider ambition to ensure that Hajduk's success is not a one-off achievement, but that the club establishes itself permanently at the top of Croatian women's football.
Millions of followers bring visibility, but also additional pressure
Marković has a media reach that is rare in women's football in Southeastern Europe. Her profiles bring together an audience from various countries, while her content combines professional football, training, travel and commercial collaborations. In March 2024, Binance published material from a shoot in Lisbon in which Marković and Cristiano Ronaldo participated in a specially designed table-football challenge. The company presented them as its football partners, and Marković described meeting Ronaldo, whom she named as one of her role models, as a dream come true.
For Hajduk, such reach could bring greater international recognition for the women's team, increased sponsor interest and a higher number of followers on the club's channels. Women's clubs in many European leagues are still fighting for a stable audience, media coverage and commercial revenue, so a player with an audience of several million can have significant promotional value. Nevertheless, the club's sporting department will have to clearly separate marketing potential from the assessment of performances on the pitch. Popularity can attract spectators to the first match, but only results and high-quality football can sustain long-term interest.
Marković herself has repeatedly emphasized in the past that she wants to be valued as a footballer, rather than solely through comments about her appearance and popularity. In Split, that demand will receive a very concrete opportunity: she will play for the champions, in Women's Champions League qualifying and in front of supporters who expect competitive seriousness from Hajduk's teams. Every goal, assist or important move will help shift the focus toward sport, while weaker performances will inevitably raise the question of whether the media attention has outweighed her football contribution. That is precisely why this transfer carries both opportunity and risk for both parties.
What Marković can bring to Hajduk's attack
In Marković, Hajduk are gaining a player who can attack space, play facing the opposition's goal and switch positions within the attacking line. Her speed could be particularly effective in European matches, in which the Croatian champions will not always dominate possession and will have to seek opportunities in transition. In the domestic championship, the challenge will often be different: opponents may drop deeper, requiring precise runs into the penalty area, combinations in tight spaces and patience in the final phase. Her ability to play both as a winger and a center forward allows her role to be adapted to the profile of the opposition.
One player should not be expected to solve every attacking problem alone. Marković's impact will depend on the quality of distribution from midfield, support from the full-backs, the movement of the other forwards and how quickly she adopts Hajduk's playing model. Her physical preparation after a demanding season in the United States will also be important, as will careful workload management, particularly because of her history of a serious knee injury. The club has not yet announced the financial details or the duration of the contract, so it is not possible to assess the long-term economic dimension of the deal.
What has been confirmed is that Marković immediately joined the squad and will be in contention for the first official matches at the beginning of August. Her debut could come on the European stage against Austria Wien, although the decision on her involvement will depend on the coaching staff's assessment and UEFA registration deadlines. For Hajduk, successful integration would mean more attacking options and a stronger international profile. For Marković, strong performances in the white shirt could mark a return to stability after a period characterized by injury, frequent club changes and moves between three continents.
The transfer is therefore much more than a media-attractive signing. Hajduk face the defense of their first title, a Women's Champions League qualifying tournament and an attempt to turn their success in 2026 into a sustainable sporting project. Ana Maria Marković has an opportunity to rebuild continuity in an environment to which she is connected through her family and demonstrate how much she can help a team under pressure to deliver results. The first answers will arrive very quickly, as the European match against Austria Wien follows as early as August 5.
Sources:
- HNK Hajduk Split – official confirmation of the transfer, the player's statement, shirt number and description of her sporting role (link)
- HNK Hajduk Split – report on winning the Croatian championship title in May 2026 (link)
- HNK Hajduk Split – information on the start of preparations, the European mini-tournament and the beginning of the championship (link)
- UEFA – official information on the Austria Wien – Hajduk match in Women's Champions League qualifying (link)
- Brooklyn FC – official announcement regarding the arrival of the Marković sisters and information on their club and international careers (link)
- Sporting Clube de Braga – confirmation of Ana Maria Marković's international status during 2024 (link)
- HRT – report on the serious knee injury and surgery in 2023 (link)
- Binance – official material on the joint shoot involving Ana Maria Marković and Cristiano Ronaldo (link)
- Jutarnji list – current approximate Instagram follower count in July 2026 (link)