The world’s most beautiful footballer, Ana Maria Marković, is on the mend after undergoing surgery and is currently focused on rehabilitation.
The Croatian star suffered a severe knee injury while playing for her Swiss club, Grasshopper Club Zürich, against FC Zurich last February.
During the intense derby, the 23-year-old striker sustained the injury, which required immediate attention from physiotherapists on the field.
“Unfortunately, I got injured in the last game. It hurts so much, and I still cannot believe it,” Marković shared after the match. Despite the setback, she is optimistic about her recovery, which she anticipates will take several months.
“All who know me, know that I have a very strong personality and that I will come back even stronger,” she affirmed on Instagram.
Now recovering from the surgery she underwent two days ago, she captioned her post, “Goodbye hospital, now rehab time.”
Her teammates and fans, including her 2.5 million Instagram followers, have flooded her with well-wishes for a speedy recovery.
Neymar’s Support
PSG star Neymar, who recently had season-ending surgery on his right ankle ligament, reached out to Marković on Instagram last October.
Their exchange, however, was purely professional. “Of course, I’m in contact with other footballers, we do the same job. Whether it’s the male Grasshoppers players or international footballers, the exchange is always there – but only on a footballing basis,” she told Swiss publication 20min.
Marković hopes that Neymar, renowned for his influence, will support women’s football. “Neymar is an outstanding footballer.
I hope that I can persuade him to support women’s football and that he can also do his part off the field. Because the male footballers can achieve a lot with their reach on social media,” she said.
Addressing Social Media Discrimination
Marković believes that women footballers face more discrimination on social media than their male counterparts.
“What makes the difference between men and women is, for example, when I show myself in a bikini on social media or when Erling Haaland shows himself in his swimming trunks,” she explained.
“Erling almost certainly doesn’t get the same sexist comments. We women are good at standing up for each other, but what I wish for is that men start standing up for us too.”
Accustomed to her title as the “world’s most beautiful footballer,” Marković prefers the “beautiful” label over “sexy,” especially for her family’s sake.