The report says the idea began with a simple visual gag.
That is classic tournament culture: identity, humour and opportunism rolled into one. Football fans do not just watch a World Cup; they adopt second teams, rituals and meeting places. A bar smart enough to spot that mood can become part of the story.
This is not being pitched as a token decoration job. The update says the venue has ordered hundreds of bottles of African Guinness, arranged Ivorian food and plans to play music from Ivory Coast around matches. One line from the announcement captured the tone: "Biddy Mulligans é o primeiro pub da Costa do Marfim de Edimburgo de verdade".
That matters because the best football atmospheres feel lived in, not pasted on. If supporters buy into the joke, it stops being irony and becomes occasion.
Elsewhere, the same report says Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw were left out of England’s World Cup squad. If that proves accurate, it would underline how unforgiving tournament selection has become. Reputation counts for less when fitness, rhythm and tactical fit are being weighed in a short, high-pressure camp.
For Maguire and Shaw, the next step would appear to be simple: rebuild momentum at club level and force the conversation again.
As the tournament rolls on, this Edinburgh pub may become one of the more unexpected side stories - and England’s squad calls will remain a subplot worth watching deep into the next international window.