Last Updated on September 18, 2026 by Mike
Marko Mitrović comes from an academically accomplished Serbian family, but football eventually became the defining passion of his own household. Born and raised in Belgrade, Mitrović grew up as the youngest of three children. His father, Stanko Mitrović, was an engineer, his mother, Jelica Mitrović, had a background in linguistics, his older brother Vladimir also became an engineer, and his sister Jelena became a surgeon. Marko was the family member who chose a completely different path through professional football.
As of now, Mitrović is married to his longtime wife, Marija, whom he married in 2001. The couple have three children: Mitar, Matija and Mia, and all three have played competitive soccer. Mitar has played NCAA Division I soccer in the United States, Matija is a professional midfielder with Vitória SC in Portugal, and Mia plays competitively at club level. Football, which Marko discovered independently as a child, has therefore become a central part of the family he and Marija built together.
Who Is Marko Mitrović’s Wife?
Marko Mitrović’s wife is Marija Mitrović. The couple have been together since Marko was a teenager and have built a marriage spanning more than two decades, several countries and the different stages of his career as both a professional player and coach.
Mitrović has described marrying Marija as one of the most important decisions he ever made. New England Revolution published the story of how they first met after appointing him as head coach in 2025.
Marko was approximately 19 years old when he saw Marija at a café while walking in a mountain area in Serbia. He noticed her immediately and decided that he wanted to introduce himself.
Marija was sitting at a table with two other women, who Marko later learned were her sister and cousin. There was an empty chair at the table, so Mitrović approached them, sat down and introduced himself in an unusually confident way.
The encounter became an example Mitrović later used when discussing his general philosophy of life. He believes opportunities often come from taking action rather than waiting for circumstances to change on their own.
That spontaneous introduction eventually developed into a long-term relationship. Mitrović states in his own biography that he and Marija married in 2001.
How Long Have Marko Mitrović and Marija Been Married?
Marko and Marija Mitrović have been married since 2001. By the time New England Revolution profiled their relationship in late 2025, Marko described the marriage as having lasted approximately 25 years.
The couple have experienced an unusually international family life. Marko’s playing and coaching careers required repeated relocations, and New England Revolution has noted that the family has lived in several countries over the years.
Those moves included periods connected to Marko’s playing career in Serbia, Hungary, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan before his coaching work eventually brought the family to the United States.
Marija later settled with the family in the Chicago area when Mitrović joined Chicago Fire FC as an assistant coach in 2016. Chicago remained an important family base even after his career took him to Reading in England and later into U.S. Soccer.
Away from football, New England Revolution says Marko and Marija enjoy relatively simple activities together, including espresso, long walks and skiing.
How Many Children Does Marko Mitrović Have?
Marko and Marija Mitrović have three children: two sons, Mitar and Matija, and a daughter named Mia.
All three children became involved in soccer. That is particularly notable because Marko himself did not come from a family of athletes.
He has explained that football was simply something he discovered and loved as a child. After becoming a father, however, the sport naturally became part of everyday family life.
Mitrović has recalled that rather than spending all of their free time watching television, he and his children frequently went outside and played with a soccer ball in the front yard.
Those informal family sessions eventually developed into something much more serious. Mitar became a Division I college player, Matija reached professional football in Europe, and Mia began competing with a club in the Chicago area.
Mitar Mitrović
Mitar Mitrović is Marko and Marija’s eldest child. Like his father, he was born in Belgrade, Serbia, before later moving to the United States with the family.
Mitar developed as a midfielder and spent part of his youth career in the Chicago Fire Academy. He later played for Indiana Fire Academy before entering college soccer.
In 2022, Mitar joined Marquette University. Over three seasons with the Golden Eagles, he established himself as a regular midfielder and appeared in 45 matches.
Marquette’s official biography identifies him as the son of Marko and Marija Mitrović and lists Matija and Mia as his two younger siblings.
Mitar combined soccer with academics, earning Big East All-Academic recognition while majoring in Business Administration.
His strongest Marquette season came in 2024. He appeared in 16 matches and produced several goals, including the first two-goal game of his college career against Villanova.
After completing three seasons at Marquette, Mitar transferred to the University of Michigan as a graduate student for the 2025 season.
He became an important midfielder for the Wolverines and started 18 matches. Michigan reported that he finished the season particularly strongly, producing four goals and an assist across his final seven games.
His performances earned him United Soccer Coaches All-North Region Third Team honors.
For Marko, Mitar’s career also provides insight into the modern player experience. The Revolution coach has said conversations with his sons help him understand what younger generations of footballers expect from coaches and how players perceive different situations inside a team.
Matija Mitrović
Matija Mitrović is Marko and Marija’s other son and the child who has followed his father most directly into professional football.
Matija was born in Belgrade on December 12, 2004. He began developing in Serbian football before moving to the United States with his family when his father joined Chicago Fire.
Like Mitar, Matija spent time in the Chicago Fire Academy. He later returned to Serbia and continued his development with FK Voždovac.
Matija eventually progressed into senior professional football with Voždovac before moving to Železničar Pančevo.
His performances in Serbia earned him a move to Portuguese club Vitória SC ahead of the 2025-26 season.
Matija quickly began making an impact in Portugal. He scored in Primeira Liga competition and earned the league’s Goal of the Month award for September/October 2025.
He was also part of the Vitória SC squad that won the 2025-26 Taça da Liga, defeating Braga in the final.
As of now, Liga Portugal continues to list Matija as a Vitória SC midfielder for the 2026-27 season.
Matija has also represented Serbia at youth international level, including the Under-21 national team.
Marko has explained that having a son competing professionally provides him with valuable perspective as a coach. He can discuss training, tactics, communication and dressing-room dynamics with Matija from both the parental and coaching points of view.
Mia Mitrović
Mia Mitrović is Marko and Marija’s daughter and the third child in the family.
Unlike her brothers, Mia has not yet pursued a public senior or college football career. However, New England Revolution confirms that she plays soccer competitively for a local club in the Chicago area.
Mitrović has spoken about playing soccer with all three children as they grew up, meaning Mia was involved in the same football-centered family environment as her brothers.
Mia has also provided a personal description of her father away from coaching. In a documentary referenced by reporting about Mitrović, she described him as caring, loving and selfless and said she viewed him as a role model.
Because Mia is not a public professional athlete, details such as her age, school and club should remain private unless the family or an authoritative organization chooses to disclose them.
Soccer Became a Family Affair for the Mitrović Family
One of the most interesting aspects of Mitrović’s family is that football was not inherited from his parents. New England Revolution specifically notes that Marko grew up in a household centered much more heavily on academics than athletics.
Marko discovered football on his own and spent much of his childhood with a ball. He eventually became a professional midfielder and played for 16 seasons across several countries.
By the time he became a father, however, football had become an everyday part of family life.
Mitrović has described spending free time outside with Mitar, Matija and Mia, kicking a ball around rather than simply sitting indoors.
That environment allowed the children to develop their own interest in the game rather than merely watching their father work.
Eventually, each child pursued soccer competitively, creating a sporting family despite Marko having grown up in a household without professional athletes.
Who Are Marko Mitrović’s Parents?
Marko Mitrović’s parents are Stanko Mitrović and Jelica Mitrović. They raised Marko and his two older siblings in Belgrade.
The Mitrović household was academically oriented. Marko’s father worked as an engineer, while his mother had a background in linguistics.
Their children followed those intellectual influences in different directions: Vladimir became an engineer, Jelena became a surgeon, and Marko combined his strong academic ability with his passion for football.
Marko Mitrović’s Father, Stanko Mitrović
Stanko Mitrović is Marko’s father. New England Revolution identifies him as an engineer.
Marko’s own biography provides additional context, stating that his father earned advanced qualifications in engineering.
Although Stanko did not work in professional sport, Marko appears to have inherited some of his father’s analytical tendencies.
As a child, Marko was exceptionally interested in mathematics and participated successfully in regional and national competitions.
That ability eventually led him to attend the prestigious Mathematical Grammar School in Belgrade, an institution known for educating highly talented students in mathematics and science.
Mitrović has carried that analytical approach into football. As a coach, he has developed a reputation for detailed tactical preparation and an ability to process information quickly.
New England Revolution has even linked Marko’s mathematical mind to the academic influence of his engineer father.
Marko Mitrović’s Mother, Jelica Mitrović
Marko Mitrović’s mother is Jelica Mitrović. New England Revolution describes her as having a professional background in linguistics.
Language subsequently became another area in which Marko excelled.
He speaks Serbian, English and Russian fluently and can communicate conversationally in Spanish. He is also naturally familiar with closely related Balkan languages such as Croatian, Bosnian and Montenegrin.
New England has suggested that those language abilities may reflect the influence of Jelica’s linguistic background in much the same way that Marko’s analytical qualities resemble the engineering and mathematical side of the family.
Mitrović’s multilingualism later became particularly valuable during an international playing and coaching career that required him to work with players from many different countries.
Does Marko Mitrović Have Siblings?
Yes. Marko Mitrović has two older siblings: a brother named Vladimir and a sister named Jelena.
New England Revolution identifies Marko as the youngest of three children.
Like their parents, Vladimir and Jelena followed highly academic professional careers rather than becoming athletes.
The contrast makes Marko’s career particularly distinctive. He was the child who transformed a childhood fascination with a football into a profession, while his siblings followed careers more closely connected with the family’s academic background.
Vladimir Mitrović
Vladimir Mitrović is Marko’s older brother.
Like their father Stanko, Vladimir pursued engineering. Marko’s personal biography describes him more specifically as a software engineer.
New England Revolution also confirms that Vladimir now lives in the United States, giving Marko another close family connection to the country where he has built much of his coaching career.
Reliable public sources provide few additional details about Vladimir’s private life, and he has generally remained outside the public attention surrounding his younger brother.
Jelena Mitrović
Jelena Mitrović is Marko’s older sister.
She followed another demanding academic path and became a surgeon.
Jelena’s career further illustrates the academic culture of the Mitrović household. Between an engineer father, linguist mother, engineer brother and surgeon sister, Marko grew up surrounded by relatives pursuing highly specialized professions.
His choice of football therefore represented a very different career path, even though his own strong academic ability could potentially have taken him in a similar direction.
Marko Mitrović Was a Mathematics Standout as a Child
Football was not Mitrović’s only talent while growing up in Belgrade.
He has said that he loved mathematics and working with numbers and won numerous prizes in regional and national mathematics competitions.
He later enrolled at the Mathematical Grammar School, one of Serbia’s most respected specialized secondary schools.
Mitrović graduated in 1997, having studied in an environment that regularly produced elite competitors in mathematics and physics.
Even though he ultimately chose professional football, those academic interests remained part of his personality and later influenced the detailed way he approached coaching.
His children have also combined soccer with education. Mitar, for example, earned academic honors at Marquette while competing as a Division I player.
Marko Mitrović’s Family Lived in Several Countries
Professional football created an international lifestyle for the Mitrović family.
During Marko’s playing career, he represented clubs in Serbia, Hungary, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.
His later coaching career added further moves, including work in Serbia, the United States and England.
New England Revolution has noted that the family has lived in approximately six different countries across the different stages of Marko’s playing and coaching careers.
Those experiences exposed Mitar, Matija and Mia to different football cultures while they were growing up.
Eventually, the United States became one of the family’s most important homes.
Marko Mitrović Says His Sons Make Him a Better Coach
Mitar and Matija’s careers have given their father something relatively unusual for a professional coach: regular feedback from players he trusts completely.
Mitrović has explained that as his sons became older and played at increasingly high levels, their conversations about soccer became more sophisticated.
They discuss what players like and dislike about coaching, how younger generations communicate, expectations inside locker rooms and different tactical situations.
Marko believes those discussions help prevent him from relying only on his own experiences as a player from an earlier generation.
Instead, his sons provide a direct connection with the mentality and pressures faced by modern footballers.
He has said that their feedback gives him additional perspective when dealing with the many personalities inside a professional dressing room.
Marko Mitrović’s Children Followed Different Soccer Pathways
Although all three Mitrović children play soccer, they have not followed identical routes.
Mitar chose the American college pathway, combining education with NCAA Division I soccer at Marquette and Michigan.
Matija pursued professional football directly, developing in both the United States and Serbia before earning a move to Portugal.
Mia continues playing at club level in Chicago while maintaining a much more private life than her brothers.
The different pathways provide Marko with insight into several parts of football development, from American academy and college soccer to professional European football.
That experience is particularly relevant to a coach whose own career has focused heavily on developing young players.
Marija and the Children Have Supported Marko’s Coaching Career
Coaching can require frequent travel, long working hours and sudden relocations, but Mitrović has consistently described his wife and children as an important source of stability.
Serbian reporting about the family has described Marija, Mitar, Matija and Mia as a major source of positive energy in Marko’s life.
His rise through coaching included youth roles at Red Star Belgrade and with Serbia, assistant positions in Serbia, MLS and England, and several U.S. national-team positions.
Those jobs often required the family to adapt to new environments or spend periods separated because of football commitments.
Despite those demands, the family’s shared connection to soccer meant they could understand many of the pressures and opportunities involved.
Marko Mitrović Comes From an Academic Family but Built a Soccer Family
The contrast between the family Mitrović grew up in and the one he later created is one of the most interesting aspects of his personal story.
His childhood household contained an engineer father, linguist mother, future engineer brother and future surgeon sister. None built careers in elite sport.
Marko combined his own academic ability with a childhood obsession with football and ultimately chose the sporting route.
With Marija, he then created a household in which all three children became competitive soccer players.
Mitar reached NCAA Division I soccer, Matija became a professional in Europe and Mia continues to compete at club level.
Football therefore went from being Marko’s individual passion in an academically focused Serbian household to becoming something shared across an entire new generation of the Mitrović family.
Frequently Asked Questions About Marko Mitrović’s Family
Who is Marko Mitrović’s wife?
Marko Mitrović’s wife is Marija Mitrović. The couple met when Marko was approximately 19 years old and married in 2001.
How did Marko Mitrović meet his wife?
Mitrović has said he first noticed Marija at a café while he was in the mountains in Serbia. He approached the table where she was sitting with her sister and cousin, introduced himself and eventually began a relationship with her.
How many children does Marko Mitrović have?
Marko and Marija have three children: Mitar, Matija and Mia.
Who is Marko Mitrović’s eldest son?
His eldest son is Mitar Mitrović, a midfielder who played three seasons at Marquette University before joining the University of Michigan as a graduate student.
Who is Marko Mitrović’s son Matija?
Matija Mitrović is a professional Serbian midfielder who plays for Portuguese Primeira Liga club Vitória SC. He previously developed with Chicago Fire, Voždovac and Železničar Pančevo.
Does Marko Mitrović have a daughter?
Yes. His daughter is Mia Mitrović. New England Revolution reports that she plays competitive soccer for a local club in the Chicago area.
Do all of Marko Mitrović’s children play soccer?
Yes. All three children have played competitive soccer. Mitar became a Division I college player, Matija is a professional footballer and Mia competes at club level.
Who are Marko Mitrović’s parents?
Marko Mitrović’s parents are Stanko and Jelica Mitrović. Stanko was an engineer, while Jelica has a background in linguistics.
Who is Marko Mitrović’s father?
His father is Stanko Mitrović, an engineer. Marko also displayed strong ability in mathematics from childhood and attended Belgrade’s Mathematical Grammar School.
Who is Marko Mitrović’s mother?
His mother is Jelica Mitrović, who has a background in linguistics. Marko later became multilingual, speaking Serbian, English and Russian fluently and conversational Spanish.
Does Marko Mitrović have siblings?
Yes. Marko is the youngest of three siblings. His older brother is Vladimir and his sister is Jelena.
Who is Marko Mitrović’s brother?
His older brother is Vladimir Mitrović, an engineer who now lives in the United States.
Who is Marko Mitrović’s sister?
His sister is Jelena Mitrović, who became a surgeon.
Was Marko Mitrović’s family involved in professional sports?
No. Mitrović has said he did not grow up in a sporting family. His relatives pursued careers in engineering, linguistics and medicine, while Marko developed his passion for football independently.
Where was Marko Mitrović born?
Marko Mitrović was born in Belgrade, Serbia, on July 8, 1978.
Is Marko Mitrović an American citizen?
Yes. Mitrović became a naturalized United States citizen in 2024 after spending several years living and coaching in the country.
Where does Marko Mitrović coach now?
As of now, Marko Mitrović is the head coach of the New England Revolution in Major League Soccer. The club appointed him on November 7, 2025, and he began his first season in charge in 2026.
Ronald Mike is a football writer covering the English Premier League, providing match analysis, tactical insight, and coverage of key rivalries and title races across the season.
