The Diaspora Cup 2026: Anthems, Passion & Everything In Between
this episode is a bit different. instead of the usual chaos of my family, i pulled together some incredible voices from across the diaspora to talk about what this world cup actually means to us.
Dr Selma — clinical psychologist, neuroscientist and trauma specialist based in Melbourne, joins to unpack the psychology of why we feel this sport so deeply, and why watching from a lounge room thousands of kilometres from home hits different.📍 Instagram: @dr.selma_music
Daniela Rogulj — Croatian football correspondent, luxury storyteller and copywriter, based in Split, Croatia, gives us the on the ground perspective on that viral anthem moment from the tournament.📍 Instagram: @danielarogulj
Marina Jurica — the Croatian fan who went viral this tournament for passionately singing Lijepa naša domovino with everything she had, while a section of England fans booed over her. Her moment became one of the most talked about clips of the World Cup, and we reflect on why.
Tamara Peklić — cross-cultural coach, talks us through why Dubioza Kolektiv has become the unofficial soundtrack of this tournament, and what it says about how our generation connects to culture differently to our parents.📍 Instagram: @tamarapeklic
Almasa — travel agent based on the Gold Coast, runs Europe Holidays, gives us the local flavour, who everyone here is actually supporting and why, plus a few strong opinions on referees along the way.📍 Facebook: Almasa Lojic Tartic
Aida Demirović-Krebs — spoken word artist, PR and cultural manager, proud RefYUgee, based in Germany, joins with words in Bosnian, speaking to why Halid Bešlić still means what it means to us, and sitting honestly with Bosnia's 2-0 loss to USA.📍 Instagram: @aida_mohn_cheri
we also touch on the Zlatan Ibrahimović moment everyone's been sending around, and close out talking about what's coming next, Croatia vs Portugal and Australia vs Egypt, two games none of us are emotionally prepared for.
grab a coffee for this one. love, ivana
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🎙️ Listen to Balkan Sis: Spotify | Apple Podcasts📱 Follow the podcast: @balkansispodcast📱 Follow Ivana: @ivanastrbacalfonso
