Learn Danish: Min makker og jeg spiller fodbold hver lørdag. - My buddy and I play soccer every Saturday.

While a ven is a general friend, a makker is specifically a partner in a shared activity or task. You use makker for a sports partner, a project buddy at work, or a sidekick.

Since the verb spiller is the fifth word here, does this sentence break the V2 (verb-second) rule?

No, the V2 rule counts grammatical components or phrases, not individual words. The entire noun phrase Min makker og jeg acts as the single subject occupying the first position, making the verb spiller the second component.

Would a native speaker ever say mig og min makker as the subject instead?

Yes, in casual spoken Danish, it is extremely common to start a sentence with mig og min makker, much like people say 'me and my buddy' in colloquial English. However, min makker og jeg is the strictly grammatically correct form to use in writing.

Why isn't there an article before the word fodbold?

When talking about playing a sport in general, Danish uses the bare noun without an article. If you were to add an article and say spiller en fodbold, it would sound like you are playing a physical ball rather than participating in the game of soccer.