A World Cup match between Croatia and Portugal resulted in more than just a tournament outcome for professional soccer players Ana Maria Markovic and Tomas Ribeiro. The couple had a playful bet riding on the game: the loser would have to sleep on the couch. Ultimately, it was Ribeiro, a Portuguese player, whose team won 2-1, meaning Markovic, representing Croatia, faced a night off the couch.
Markovic, often referred to as the "World's Most Beautiful Soccer Player," shared their wager on Instagram prior to the match, posting a picture of herself and Ribeiro in their respective team jerseys. She captioned the image, "Someone’s sleeping on the couch tonight." Ribeiro responded to the tag, "Guess who's gonna be?"
The couple watched the game together, but Markovic found herself in a potentially awkward situation. She posted an update during the match, stating, "I’m literally the only Croatian here," indicating she was surrounded by fans supporting Portugal. Croatia's 2-1 loss to Portugal, which saw VAR deny a late equalizer, added to the disappointment for the 26-year-old defender, who plays for Brooklyn FC in the USL Super League.
While the exact outcome of the bet was not explicitly detailed beyond the initial agreement, Markovic's post suggested she had secured the couch for herself, and the loss was a difficult one for her to accept. Her team is scheduled to play Spain next.