Birdie Digest | Weekly Rundown: Shakira, World Cup picks & Backyard Legends

Hello there- whether you're a new or existing subscriber, welcome back. Here are a few stories, moments, and updates from the world of football culture and lifestyle.

World Cup Picks

With the 2026 World Cup just around the corner, the anticipation doesn't quite feel as charged as it did for previous tournaments. On that note, Shakira is back with the official World Cup song Dai Dai, featuring Burna Boy. The full track drops today, May 14th (yes, today!). Most of the comments going around suggest it doesn't quite hit the same as the iconic 2010 Waka Waka, but maybe it just needs some time to grow on us.

Still on the World Cup- Madonna, Shakira, and BTS are set to co-headline the first-ever FIFA World Cup halftime show, taking place at the New York New Jersey Stadium in July. The show will be curated by Chris Martin of Coldplay and produced by Global Citizen. The best part? Proceeds will go toward the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, supporting access to quality education for children around the world. It's more than just a game, and we love seeing good causes attached to it.

Good news for travelling fans from from five African World Cup qualifying nations Algeria, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Tunisia, the US has dropped the visa bond requirement of up to $15,000 for World Cup ticket holders. Fans can breathe a little easier. Football should be for everyone

Fashion & Lifestyle

Eight years ago, a 19-year-old Kylian Mbappé burst onto the World Cup stage with four goals, seven matches, and a second star on the France shirt. Now he returns as captain, carrying a very different kind of weight.

In a new Vanity Fair Sports Issue interview, Mbappé opens up on everything- his French identity, the noise around his game, and life at Real Madrid. The biggest star in world football is under pressure like never before, and the World Cup is almost here.

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Ahead of the World Cup, Adidas dropped a great short film Backyard Legends - bringing together Timothée Chalamet, Messi, Bad Bunny, Lamine Yamal, Jude Bellingham, Trinity Rodman, Zidane, Beckham, and Del Piero. It's a love letter to street football, the joy of free play, and the places where legends are made.

Finally, this unique piece of fanwear caught our attention. Designed by Saudi designer Nora Al Shaikh, the garment offers women a more refined and modest approach to football fashion. It was worn by women of Al Nassr FC and feels like a thoughtful, modern take on how women in Saudi Arabia can engage with football culture on their own terms.

Conversation of the week

This week, we attended a panel in Berlin hosted by Fake Agency GmbH Conversation exploring how culture and genuine communities are built, and how AI is quietly reshaping it all.

A few things that stood out: culture matters most when it's rooted in people and driven by real pioneers. Collaboration is at the heart of it, community building is more important than ever, and when it comes to AI it should stay in the background, simply amplifying what's already there.

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