The Sweeper - A World Football Podcast
The Sweeper Podcast explores the most extraordinary stories from across the football world, covering everything from the World Cup and Champions League to obscure competitions. Expert journalists Lee Wingate and Paul Watson delve into the intersection of football, travel, geography, geopolitics, history, and culture. The podcast aims to uncover hidden stories of the global game beyond the Premier League and big-league European football. New episodes are released every Tuesday, with bonus content on Patreon.
Episodes
Mexico’s secret CONMEBOL deal, Malawi’s condom sponsors & Ireland’s brand-new third tier
Mexico broke ranks with the rest of CONCACAF over Gianni Infantino’s botched plans to sell off stakes in the World Cup. Now there are reports the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) has hatched a secret deal with the FIFA President to help them join CONMEBOL.The FMF has a long history in South American football. El Tri have played in the Copa America as guests 11 times, while its clubs have featured
Miquelon’s Coupe de France debut, Greenland’s chaotic championship & Guinea-Bissau’s presidential escape
The Coupe de France is the most international national cup competition in the world, with overseas territories located in every continent bar Asia taking part. The first to enter each year is always the team from Saint Pierre and Miquelon, in round 3.And this season, the tiny archipelago off the coast of Canada’s Newfoundland will have a representative from the less populous island of Miquelon for
Infantino's Icarus moment, Montenegro’s continental calamity & Colombia’s cold-blooded reserves
Football never stops. Only nine days after the World Cup final, the news was leaked that FIFA were looking to sell a stake in the tournament, sparking a furious backlash across the globe.UEFA responded by threatening to boycott FIFA competitions, with CONCACAF and AFC subsequently releasing statements condemning the proposal, which would have seen all 211 member associations receive $40 million ea
World Cup 2026: Cape Verde’s tourism boost, Paraguay’s rags to riches keeper & an England fan manhunt
The 2026 World Cup continues to produce breathtaking matches – arguably none more so than debutants Cape Verde versus world champions Argentina.With players who once worked as electricians and mortgage advisors, Cape Verde pushed Lionel Messi & Co. to extra time in the round of 32, serving up one of the most memorable knockout ties in World Cup history. And one of the all-time great goals, sco
World Cup 2026: Cape Verde’s Messi meeting, Doctor Congo in dreamland & the Habsburg Derby
The 2026 World Cup group-stage is over – and we’re already under way with the knockout phase of the tournament!Among the teams in the last 32 are seven knockout debutants: Bosnia & Herzegovina, Canada, DR Congo, Egypt, Ivory Coast, South Africa and Cape Verde, who have been the story of the tournament and face Lionel Messi’s Argentina next. But which other countries reached the knockouts on th
World Cup 2026: The Gijón grudge match, a Dutch royal groundhop & Hervé Renard’s crisp white shirts
It has been another scintillating week of action at the 2026 World Cup, where the final round of group games is about to get under way.Algeria are preparing to exact revenge against Austria for the ‘Disgrace of Gijón’ 44 years ago, in what may be the biggest grudge match of the tournament, while the Dutch royal family has been groundhopping to watch the Netherlands and Curaçao on the same day.Else
World Cup 2026: Balogun’s curious US citizenship, Peru’s mascot drug raid & Algeria’s sleep tax
The 2026 World Cup is already producing crazy quirks and hilarious headlines – with the co-host trio of Canada, Mexico and the USA leading the way. The USMNT have a star striker who gained citizenship by pure coincidence, while the American and Canadian tournament mascots have inspired a Peruvian drug bust and a Mexican duck wearing a national team shirt has gone viral across the world.Meanwhile,
Uzbekistan: The World Cup's nearly men no more
Uzbekistan are on the cusp of making their long-awaited World Cup bow. With former Ballon d’Or winner Fabio Cannavaro at the helm, the former Soviet republic is about to become the first Central Asian country and the first double-landlocked nation to take part in the greatest show on earth. But what else do you need to know about the White Wolves before they have even kicked a ball in North Americ
Jordan: The World Cup captain who defied his coach
Jordan are at the World Cup finals for the first time ever!Led by coach Jamal Sellami in the dugout and captain Musa Al-Taamari on the pitch – who do not appear to agree when it comes to tactics – Jordan are set to become the country with the lowest land point to ever play at the finals.But what else do you need to know about the wonderfully nicknamed Chivalrous Ones ahead of their opening match?I
Curaçao: The World Cup squad with only ONE local player
Debutants Curacao are about to break an all-time World Cup record.Spearheaded by veteran coach Dick Advocaat – soon to be the oldest coach in the tournament’s history – the Caribbean island are the smallest-ever nation to make an appearance at the finals with a population of only 160,000.So what should you know about the brilliantly nicknamed Blue Wave before they make their bow on the global stag
Cape Verde: The World Cup player recruited by LinkedIn DM
Cape Verde are days away from making their World Cup debut.With a head coach nicknamed after the island of his birth and only seven full-time staff members, the tiny African archipelago are about to take on former world champions Spain and Uruguay as well as Saudi Arabia in North America.But what do you need to know about the Blue Sharks ahead of their maiden appearance on the greatest stage in in
Andorran adventures: Cross border clubs, squirrel costumes & micro-state uproar
We have come to a tiny landlocked country where nine out of 10 footballers are foreigners.Welcome to beautiful Andorra – a micro-state home to a football scene brimming with curiosities and quirks.In this episode, we’re unpacking the madness: Why are there virtually no Andorrans in the local Primera Divisió? How did Gerard Piqué’s FC Andorra move over the border to play in Spain’s La Liga 2? And w
Al Hilal's African odyssey, Brazil's first indigenous pro club & a 42-second Dutch replay
How has an exiled football club won league titles in three countries in the space of 12 months?In this episode, we tell the extraordinary story of Sudan’s Al Hilal Omdurman and their unprecedented African odyssey.After escaping conflict at home, they first conquered Mauritania’s Super D1 in May 2025, before winning a short championship in their native Sudan last summer and the Rwandan Premier Leag
The death of relegation in Mexico – Plus Racing’s roadside celebrations in Uruguay & San Marino Calcio’s angry letter
Mexico’s Liga MX wants to copy the MLS model!The 18 club owners have voted to separate the league from the federation, move towards a franchise model, and permanently abolish promotion and relegation in practice.But hang on, wasn’t relegation already abolished in Mexican football? Don’t lots of top leagues worldwide function as a closed shop? And why are Mexico’s 2026 World Cup preparations under
FC Thun's impossible fairytale 2: Road workers, Alpine dips & a football thesis
FC Thun midfielder Ethan Meichtry was a road worker three years ago. Now he’s a Swiss Super League winner.His story perfectly encapsulates the improbable rise of the club, who were promoted only last summer and are already champions of Switzerland for the first time in their history.So how did Meichtry go from construction worker to title-winner? How did Thun take Swiss football by storm? And wher
Red Bull’s Italian expansion plans – Plus Bursaspor’s Turkish football completion & Den Bosch’s promotion dilemma
Red Bull are finally coming for Italian football!The energy drinks giant, which already majority-owns football clubs in Austria, Germany, America, Brazil and Japan, reportedly wants to venture into football in Italy and has now set its sights on FC Südtirol.So what makes the Serie B club a sensible strategic move for Red Bull? And why should supporters in Bolzano be wary of multi-club ownership? T
Shakhtar Donetsk's imposter club – Plus Heidelberg’s Asian aspirations & Montserrat’s Facebook coach ad
Shakhtar Donetsk are a Ukrainian football club – but Russia are trying to change that by founding Shakhtyor Donetsk!As part of their efforts to integrate occupied Ukrainian territories, Russia are now creating their own versions of major Ukrainian teams.So why are UEFA not stopping this? What is the current situation in the Crimean Premier League? And how has the invasion changed football in Ukrai
FC Thun's impossible fairytale 1: Fires, fans & amateur football
A newly-promoted club are on the verge of the impossible.If tiny FC Thun can get just a few more points on the board, they will win the Swiss Super League and claim the first major trophy in their 128-year history.But what do the locals make of it all? Why is Thun the perfect place for such a fairytale? And how did a literal sauna force a high-stakes clash with Basel to be called off?We headed to
Bosnia’s poker player at the World Cup – Plus Ceuta coach’s Rome pledge & Nauru’s 1 child 1 ball initiative
A former poker player has coached Bosnia to the World Cup!Sergej Barbarez has guided the Balkan country to the tournament in his first head coach role – at the expense of four-time champions Italy.So how did he go from the casino for the dugout? Why has qualification cost his striker Ermedin Demirovic €300,000? And how are Bosnia at a second World Cup without ever making the EUROs?In this episode,
Liechtenstein: Europe’s strangest national team – Plus Germany’s drug dealer striker & Italy’s coach turned priest
Liechtenstein have the strangest national football team in Europe.They have no domestic league to develop players, sometimes take just one fan to away matches and, for years, had just one professional footballer.So how do they make it work? Why is it so hard to generate support for the team? And what change to international football might improve their fortunes?In this episode, we put the micro-st
Eritrea’s dictatorship defection dilemma – Plus Poland’s Belarusian team and Russia’s war critic in Cyprus
Eritrea’s national team haven’t played an official match in seven years.But this month, the Red Sea Camels are making their long-awaited return to the international stage in AFCON 2027 qualifying.So what kept Eritrea away? Why are they returning to the fold now? And do they have any chance against Eswatini?In this episode, we take you on a virtual journey to the Horn of Africa – and shine a light
Iran's possible World Cup withdrawal – Plus the Barca fan at the wrong St. James’ Park & Llantwit Major’s wacky cup run
A World Cup co-host is at war with another participating nation.Since the United States launched strikes against Iran at the end of last month, the big question in the football world has been whether the latter will still play at the World Cup.So will Iran play or not? Could they even face the United States? And who would likely replace them if they were to withdraw?Today, we run through all the c
Steaua Bucharest’s European Cup dispute – Plus the Italian coach who sacked himself & Germany’s pirate island club
Steaua Bucharest, Romania’s most successful club, no longer exists.Instead, two teams now both lay claim to the original club’s success – including the highly prized 1986 European Cup.So who is the true successor? Why did UEFA change its mind four decades later? And could they ever play against each other?In this episode, we take you inside one of European football’s oddest disputes: the battle fo
Welcome to The Sweeper Podcast
Welcome to The Sweeper Podcast. Each week, we bring you the most extraordinary global football stories from across the 211 FIFA countries and beyond.New episodes are released at 8pm UK time every Tuesday. For bonus podcasts every Thursday at the same time, sign up at patreon.com/sweeperpod.
North Korea's top-secret football league – Plus Wrexham's Hollywood owners in Colombia & The Sweeper's new shirt
In North Korea, even football is shrouded in secrecy.Fixtures in the DPRK Premier League aren’t published. Fans only find out matches are happening when notices appear outside the stadium the day before. You can’t check the scores. And you can’t watch full games on TV.So how does football actually work in the world’s most secretive country?Why are English Premier League matches shown – but delayed
Football at the top of the world – Plus a family feud in El Salvador & a Dutch team banned from playing away
Bodø/Glimt continued their sensational debut UEFA Champions League campaign by beating Italian giants Inter in the Arctic Circle – after 80 tons of snow had first been cleared from their pitch, of course.But did you know Norway is home to an even snowier pitch, 1,000km further north at the very top of the world, in a place where seeds are stored for the event of an apocalypse and people carry rifl
Brazil’s rainforest rivalry, Myanmar’s unbeatable powerhouse & Bougainville’s push for independence
The most-played match in world football has been contested nearly 1,000 times – yet most fans have never heard of it.Join us on a journey to a tropical corner of the planet as we uncover a rivalry first played in 1914… and still being contested today.Who are the two teams involved? Why have they faced each other so often – an average of seven times a year for over a century? And what could finally
Viktor Orban’s football powerplay, Copa Libertadores expansion & Chinese Super League sanctions
A sleepy town of 22,000 people in southern Slovakia is home to a top-flight football club that is challenging for national titles and boasts an ultra-modern, sleek stadium that is entirely out of step with its surroundings – thanks to money from abroad.We paid a visit to Dunajská Streda to watch local team DAC 1904 play domestic giants Slovan Bratislava in a top-of-the table clash in Slovakia. But
Qarabag’s Champions League heroics, Benfica’s goalkeeper goal & Kazakhstan’s Borat arrests
Qarabağ have made Champions League history this season, becoming the first Azerbaijani club to ever reach the knockout stages of the competition – and setting up a play-off tie against Premier League team Newcastle United.Their run has come at a time of dramatic geopolitical change in the South Caucasus, with the club preparing to return to their hometown of Ağdam after spending more than three de
The Finnish Cup: Round 0, incredible club names & an unusual trophy twin
Christmas has come and gone, but for Santa Claus – the football club that is, not the man with the beard – the other big moment of the year is fast approaching. This amateur team of tourism and post office workers are about to enter the Finnish Cup – their one big moment each year to show they are more than just a novelty name. But beyond Lapland, what else is so unique about the competition? We s
Luxembourg’s stadium-building president, double Dutch cup trophies & Olympic Charleroi’s total chaos
In just three seasons, a small-town club from central Luxembourg have gone from third-tier obscurity to challenging for the top-flight title. At the heart of their rise is president Carlos Teixeira, a construction entrepreneur who literally built the club’s stadium himself before reluctantly taking over the reins. On this episode, we tell Atert Bissen's story – before heading to the Netherlands
Oceania’s first pro competition, the ex-Bundesliga burger flipper & Mali’s AFCON fetish priest
In Part 1, Lee & Paul preview the inaugural OFC Pro League – the first fully professional football competition in Oceania’s history – which kicks off in New Zealand on Saturday 17 January. What matches will take place in the first circuit series in Auckland – and where can you watch them? Which team will have to travel the furthest and cross the International Date Line for their fixtures? Who
India’s Super League crisis, the utterly mental Polish Ekstraklasa & Christmas Island’s red crabs
In Part 1, Lee and Paul are joined by Asia correspondent John Duerden to cast a look at some huge stories across the continent – in India, Malaysia and South Korea. What on earth happened on Lionel Messi’s GOAT Tour of Kolkata? And why is the world’s largest country still without a top-flight league months after the season should have gotten under way? What has the fallout been from Malaysia’s att
Quebec's Athletic Bilbao, Guadeloupe's 4-point per win rule & Norway's naked cup winner
In Part 1, Lee and Paul take a deep dive into Canadian football, including the national team's World Cup draw, Vancouver Whitecaps' incredible campaign and the changes to the line-up in the Canadian Premier League. Do Canada have a chance against Qatar, Switzerland – and probably Italy? Will the Vancouver Whitecaps be able to stay in Vancouver? How on earth did the Canadian Premier League&
Curacao & Haiti's World Cup heroics, Thun’s Swiss title tilt & Argentina’s invented champion
In Part 1, Lee and Paul are joined by North and Central American football expert Jon Arnold to talk about the craziness in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying. Why did the Curacao football team fly from Bermuda to Jamaica via London in the November window? Why has Haiti's French coach Sebastien Migne never set foot on the island? How did an uncelebrated last-gasp own goal save Suriname's World C
Coquimbo Unido's treasured title, Mirassol's organic rise & the OFC Pro League soft launch
In Part 1, Lee and Paul are joined by Nathan Joyes, a South American football expert and the host of the Copa Club Podcast to talk about some sensational stories from the CONMEBOL nations this season. Why do Chile’s new champions Coquimbo Unido have a pirate theme? Which strategic decision helped Mirassol rise from the sixth tier to the brink of the Copa Libertadores? Is there something in the wat
Latvia: The Baltic League grand plan, vanishing champions & a final between friends
In Part 1, Lee sits down with Virslīga President Maksims Krivunecs in Riga for an inside look at the Latvian football landscape. What is Latvia’s unique claim to fame within the 55 UEFA countries? Why have five of the country’s nine different champions since independence gone out of business? What does the average Virslīga footballer earn per month? And why is he in favour of setting up a Baltic L
Sweden’s Mjällby miracle, Lithuania’s warm welcome & Ireland’s marathon helicopter
In Part 1, Lee and Paul reflect on ultimate underdogs Mjällby becoming Swedish champions and the key figures behind their unlikely Allsvenskan triumph. How have sporting director Hasse Larsson and coach Anders Torstensson shown courage in the face of adversity? Why are Mjällby the best-ever team in Swedish history? And why is the village of Hällevik looking for a new postman? And from one first-ti
Cape Verde: World Cup qualification, the LinkedIn footballer & donkey deliveries
In Part 1 of this special episode, Paul is joined by African football expert Ali Howorth live from the Cape Verdean capital of Praia to talk about the country’s historic World Cup qualification. What force of nature helped the islanders get the job done against Eswatini? What were the highlights of the after-party? What role has the Dutch city of Rotterdam played in Cape Verde’s success? And why m
OUR GREENLAND ASSIST, San Marino's "pizza bakers" & Paks' power-plant ultras
In Part 1, Lee tells Paul about his travels to watch pod favourites Greenland and San Marino live during their respective trips to Austria over the international window. How did he impact the course of the Arctic island's match against Slovenia from the sidelines? What insights did he glean from inside the Greenland camp? Why is the legendary Austrian striker Toni Polster so bitter towards San
Slovakia’s belated EURO triumph, Montserrat’s challenge to India & Crotone’s mafia infiltration
In Part 1, Lee and Paul investigate why Slovakia have finally been recognised as EURO 1976 winners 49 years later – with the help of a UEFA insider, a Slovak football podcaster and people on the ground in the capital, Bratislava. How is the successor country of a no-longer existing nation like Czechoslovakia determined? What brought about the update on UEFA’s website on 12 September? And what do S
Austria's football-sized sinkholes, Kosovo’s UEFA challenges & Bolivia's altitude masterclass
In this episode of The Sweeper Podcast, we cover the big stories from 2026 World Cup qualifying and the latest international football news from Europe and beyond: Part 1: EuropeAustria’s stadium sinkhole saga continues as Ralf Rangnick takes to an e-bikeRomania’s Mircea Lucescu becomes the second-oldest international coach everKosovo are unofficial world champions - but continue to face geopolitic
Kairat's Champions League heroics, Malta's European debutants & the 2026 OFC Pro League line-up
In Part 1, Lee and Paul are joined by travel YouTuber John McAllister to talk about his epic 5,000km overland journey from Wales to Kazakhstan to watch the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifier. There’s also a full round-up of the UEFA club competition action – including Kairat Almaty's Champions League heroics, Malta’s first-ever league phase participants, Universitatea Craiova’s naughty stadium anno
Tiny Mjällby's fairytale season, Belgium’s barmy border club & chaos in the Caribbean
In Part 1, Lee & Paul round up their favourite European football stories – which all have a geography theme. How is fishing village club Mjällby on the cusp of a shock first Swedish title? Why did fellow minnows Bruk-Bet Termalica have to cut down the corn fields around their stadium? Which two Lithuanian teams contested the ‘Centre of Europe’ derby at the weekend? And what Belgian club is bas
The Øresund Bridge derby, haircut breaks in Nuuk & Colombia’s calendar footballer
In Part 1, Lee & Paul bring you the best stories from the UEFA club competitions. FC Copenhagen are preparing to cross the Øresund Bridge to Sweden in the Champions League, but what record will the tie break? Which Kazakh club located as far east as China could make it into Europe’s premier club tournament for the first time? Why did Welsh side Penybont have to splurge €3,300 on their trip to
Summer break & thank-you note!
Hello everyone,As you will have heard on previous episodes, there will be no regular pod this time around as we take our first (short) break from podding since we started The Sweeper in February 2023. But never fear, we'll be back before you know it, with the next fortnightly episode planned in the next slot on Wednesday 6 August.In the meantime, a big thank-you from the two of us. We love every s
The birth of Rayo Vaticano, Tromsø’s 'Midnight Match' & China’s AI-robot tournament
In Part 1, Lee and Paul bring you the best stories from the European continent. How could YOU get involved with the first proper club in the world's smallest country? Why do Tromsø, the world's northernmost professional team, play one Eliteserien match per season at midnight? Which Guinness World Record do the Bosnia & Herzegovina Women's Premier League champions SFK 2000 hold? And how did the
Greenland left out in the cold, Samsunspor’s smurf ultras & Cazorla’s hometown heroics
In Part 1, Lee and Paul are joined by Nick Miller of The New York Times & The Athletic to discuss Greenland and the long road to international football. Why was the world’s largest island rejected by CONCACAF? How do you go about setting up an international football team? What unusual ploy did Kosovo put into action to aid their bid for UEFA membership? And why is Kiribati among the hardest pl
Oceania’s champion dentist, Uzbekistan’s curse breakers & Venezuelan border sh*thousery
This episode is brought to you in association with FIFA+. Click below to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live club and international football from around the world: www.tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper Part 1 is all about the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the United States. Will the players of New Zealand outfit Auckland City get time off for the tournament? Why have LAFC replaced Club Leon at the
Croatia’s motorway delivery, Sweden’s fishing village leaders & Al Hilal’s Mauritanian title
Welcome to our first-ever video podcast! Let's be honest with you: we're not entirely sure how well this will work first time round. It seems that Spotify is the only podcast platform that allows video podcast uploads. So if you prefer to use Apple Podcasts or another platform but you want to watch it, please head on over to our YouTube channel and subscribe to us there! Finally, let us know what
Riots and donkeys in Belgium, Arctic Circle ticket trades & Northern Ireland’s burger kings
This episode is brought to you in association with FIFA+. Click below to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live club and international football from around the world: www.tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper In Part 1, Lee tells Paul all about his travels and experiences in Bruges and Brussels. What did he witness first-hand outside a train station in the capital that shocked him to his core? Which Be
Avellino's Pope curse, Russia’s fake Zorya Luhansk & Singapore’s Lady Gaga headache
Bulgarian club Ludogorets are the starting point in a Europe-focused Part 1. But what continental record have they equalled? And how might the Crazy Forest gang’s story have turned out so differently? Next up is the Vatican. But what is the link between Serie C club Avellino and the Pope? And why have the Swiss Guard withdrawn from the league in the world’s smallest state. Then it’s over to the wo
Holy water in Benin, Greece’s season ticket dog & Ecuador’s indigenous trailblazers
This episode is brought to you in association with FIFA+. Click below to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live club and international football from around the world: www.tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeperEurope and Africa are the focal points in a fan culture-themed Part 1. How did an American tourist on a hop-on, hop-off boat cruise in London get adopted by Southend’s away fans? What did supporter
Footballs in international waters, an Alpine groundhop adventure & Uzbek World Cup dreams
In Paul’s absence, Producer Tom joins Lee to talk about their five-a-side football match on the German-Swiss border and their Alpine groundhopping challenge to watch live games in three countries in the space of seven hours – using only public transport! Join Lee and Tom to find out how they almost lost a football in international waters, why they might face repercussions from the ‘Groundhop Polic
The trillion-dollar Saudi team, Bosnia’s Serbian champions & Bulgaria's memorable minute's silence
This episode is brought to you in association with FIFA+. Click below to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live club and international football from around the world: www.tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper In Part 1, the award-winning football journalist and author James Montague joins us in the studio to tell us about Neom Sports Club, the trillion-dollar team in Saudi Arabia’s second division, and
Japan’s ultimate bench-warmer, Andorra’s YouTube resurrection & Iceland’s volcano-hit team
This episode is brought to you in association with FIFA+. Click here to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live football from around the world, including the San Marino league and cup: www.tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper Send us an email to sweeperpod@gmail.com with some information about yourself and your preferences if you want us to handpick you a new football team to support. In Part 1, i
Romania's reality TV race, Australia's motorway trophy & the Marshall Islands' vanishing kit
This episode is brought to you in association with FIFA+. Click here to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live football around the world: www.tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper Send us an email to sweeperpod@gmail.com with some information about yourself and your preferences if you want us to handpick you a new football team to support. Some brilliant stories from Europe and Asia await you
Ferencváros' ultras in disguise, HamKam 2’s AI coach & Burkina Faso’s bus-funded leaders
This episode is brought to you in association with FIFA+. Click here to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live football around the world: www.tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper Part 1 is all about the final round of Europa League and Champions League action. How have Brest made the play-offs with an inexperienced coach and a shoestring budget? What does Fenerbahce boss José Mourinho have against th
Ascension Island’s tortoise troubles, Omonia’s fan-paid groceries & Lazio’s live-in falconer
There’s an island theme in Part 1. Starting with the return of football to Ascension Island, an isolated outpost in the Atlantic Ocean. It will be the second-most remote place to host football in the world – but what is the first?! Next up is Malta, where the only team in the pyramid from the neighbouring island of Gozo has made a 100% start to the season and the top flight has adopted a Latin Ame
Balzers’ Internet fame, the world’s newest league & The Strongest’s Chocolate Party
This episode is brought to you in association with FIFA+. Click here to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live football around the world: www.tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper The Sweeper is back for the first episode of 2025 to round up all the world football headlines from over the Christmas and New Year period. Starting in Europe, where Balzers of Liechtenstein have gone from 1,000 to 400,000 I
Víkingur’s 13-month season, Vitória’s crazy Kazakh away day & a Career We Go quiz
Part 1 is all about the drama of the 2024/25 UEFA Conference League. Bosnia & Herzegovina, Iceland and Ireland have their first-ever representatives in a European knockout stage, Portugal’s Vitoria de Guimaraes set a new continental away day record, Omonia’s "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" coach is sacked & the reserves of English giants Chelsea run riot. To help us review the action, we h
Georgia’s bodyguard cup winners, Danish snowball fights & a smuggled skull in Paraguay
This episode is brought to you in association with FIFA+. Click here to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live football around the world: www.tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper Gift a Patreon subscription for Christmas: www.patreon.com/SweeperPod/gift Part 1 is all about the biggest domestic cup shocks and upsets across the globe, starting with Spaeri. But does their association with a government en
A SAN MARINO PROMOTION, Hispaniola at the Gold Cup & Coupe de France controversy
This episode is brought to you in association with FIFA+. Click here to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live football around the world: www.tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper There was only ever going to be one starting point for our international coverage in Part 1: San Marino’s historic promotion to UEFA Nations League C! But how do we think they will fare and who do we want to see them face? Up
Balkan groundhopping, River Plate’s potent paint & Como’s war on Monza
In Part 1 of this bonus Patreon episode, which we have released in the absence of a fresh podcast on this occasion, the Sweeper team are joined by Tom Middler and Simon Clark – Lee's co-hosts on his other podcast, 'The Other Bundesliga' – to talk about their groundhopping trip to Slovenia & Croatia. Which UEFA Conference League match did they watch? Who plays in Slovenia's 'metal derby'? And w
Montenegro’s mass collapse, Sweden’s perfect runners-up & Auckland’s A-League debut
This episode is brought to you in association with FIFA+. Click here to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live football around the world: tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper Click here to buy the November issue of World Soccer: https://shop.kelsey.co.uk/single-issue/world-soccer-magazine In Part 1, the focus is on the club game in the continent The Sweeper calls home: Europe. Why did the entire Njegoš
Bhutanese monk ultras, a golden era for micro-states & the Southgate of the Solomons
This episode is brought to you in association with FIFA+. Click here to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live football around the world: tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper In Part 1, we take a look at one of the world’s most remote footballing outposts with Faraway Football blogger Matthew Eide, who has just returned from a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Bhutan courtesy of football kit designers Icarus
Switalian adventures, Welsh routes into Europe & the Vatican on tour
In Part 1, Lee reflects on his trip to watch high-flying Lugano take on Winterthur in the Swiss Super League. What’s the story behind their collaboration with MLS outfit Chicago Fire? What else has been behind the club’s rise to domestic cup winners and title challengers? And could Switzerland have its first national champion from the Italian-speaking region since 1949? We also hear from YouTuber
Turks & Caicos' 14-year-old goalie, Bolivia's altitude advantage & Argentina's gun-wielding chairman
This episode is brought to you in collaboration with FIFA+. Click here to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live football around the world: tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper Part 1 covers the best international window for underdogs in living memory, with San Marino’s first-ever competitive triumph, Anguilla’s first victory since 2010 & American Samoa’s first win since 2015 among the highlights.
BONUS POD: SAN MARINO WIN A FOOTBALL MATCH!!!
Would you believe it?! San Marino, the worst team in the world by FIFA ranking (210), have ended the longest winless run in international football history (140 games dating back to April 2004) and won a competitive match for the first time in their history! The 'Titani' beat Liechtenstein 1-0 in the UEFA Nations League.Along with other content creators, friends & listeners, Sweeper duo
Europe for Larne & TNS, Papua NG's breakaway league & Comoros’ wizard-loving boss
Part 1 is devoted to the final round of UEFA club competition qualifying & the upcoming league phase in the three tournaments. We look at the Larne, TNS, RFS & Slovan Bratislava underdog success stories, amazing social media posts involving the Smurfs and Mr. Bean, the changed format of the three club competitions and the computerised draw, plus the best European groundhops you could make
Noah’s unique European run, Djibouti’s power plant club & St. Kitts' three-legged final
Part 1 is devoted to the UEFA club competition qualifying rounds. There’s penalty pandemonium in Poland and theNetherlands, an amazing achievement for Armenians Noah and a trio of clubs on the verge of becoming the first representatives from Andorra, Northern Ireland & Wales to reach a continental group. There’s also a word for the biggest and shortest European away days of the summer, football’s
A Tongan World Cup dream, Greenland’s Disko Island & Olympic sprinter-footballers
In Part 1, we bring you all the top stories from around the football world: Maikeli Lomu, an American with Tongan heritage, has sold his pottery studio in Utah and relocated to his ancestral homeland in pursuit of a World Cup dream. The 2024 edition of the Greenlandic Football Championship – the shortest season in world football at one week – is taking place on Disko Island off the west coast. And
A victorious Faroese village, 27th time lucky for La Fiorita & North Korea’s ‘Pariah Derby’
In Part 1, we round up all the latest highlights from the UEFA club competition qualifying rounds. We talk about two villages of under 1,000 people in the Faroes & San Marino that claimed big European wins, the Slovenian keeper that went on a René Higuita-style dribble against Connah’s Quay Nomads of Wales and FC Copenhagen’s upcoming trip to face ‘pub team’ Bruno’s Magpies at a stadium overlo
Pub team's European win, a mystery island coaching job & a Sweeper-sponsored team
Part 1 is dedicated to the best part of the European football calendar: the UEFA club competition qualifying rounds. We chat about the Gibraltarian pub team that claimed a win in the Conference League, the victorious Polish and Romanian teams in the Europa League and the part-timers from the Faroe Islands excelling in the Champions League. In Part 2, we bring you a random mix of stories from acros
Rooftop viewings in Vanuatu, Zivzivadze’s house-turned-hotel & an Eritrean on the move
Part 1 is dedicated to the overachieving underdogs at the continental competitions taking place this summer: Canada at the Copa América, Vanuatu at the OFC Nations Cup and Georgia at the EUROs. Meanwhile, in Part 2, there is a rare move to a European club for an Eritrean player and an ex-Gibraltar international is jailed for drug dealing. Join us for Part 3 at patreon.com/SweeperPod as we round up
The UEFA qualifier quiz, the Marshall Islands’ debut & a delayed Cold War friendly
With the UEFA club competition qualifying rounds getting under way this week, it’s time for a full Sweeper preview of the action in Part 1 – in the form of a trivia quiz, of course! Join us and play along in our three rounds – Multiple Choice, Odd One Out & The Right Order – as we look ahead to the Champions, Europa & Conference League qualifiers: the debutants, the second-tier teams, the
OFC Nations Cup chaos, Saint Helena rescue missions & Malaga’s 5am airport welcome
Part 1 kicks off with some stories from around the footballworld. Why were the Solomon Islands locked out of their dressing room at the OFC Nations Cup? How come New Caledonia dramatically pulled out of the tournament? What are the most remote football tournaments in the world in terms of the distance to the closest inhabited land? And which footballer has recently established himself on the over-
Kilts and concerts at EURO 2024, a university upset in Japan & an Icelandic village dream
The European Championships are in full swing not only on the pitch but off it too. In Part 1, we pick out three themes from the opening stages of the tournament in Germany that have made us laugh: food wars, culture craziness & online polls/searches. Tune in to find out which country at EURO 2024 has the best national dish, who is empirically speaking the sexiest of the 24 head coaches, why Ni
The EURO 2024 coffee dealer, San Marino’s water slide away day & North Korea’s secret score
EURO 2024 is just around the corner and we have put the tournament under the spotlight in typically Sweeper style in Part 1. How did Austria’s Maximilian Entrup go from a third-tier amateur/PE teacher to a place at EURO 2024 in the space of a year? Does Georgia’s Budu Zivzivadze harbour any regrets about choosing football over chess? Who is the only player at the tournament currently on the books
Quirky football stadia, the Corsica Cup & the Turkmen team that always wins
Part 1 contains an international round-up of European minnows inside and outside of UEFA. In which version of football has Gibraltar become a European champion? Why has Corsica recently hosted their counterparts from Sardinia, Sicily & St. Martin? Will we watch San Marino vs. Slovakia from the top of a water slide? And which football stadium straddles an EU/non-EU border?Up next in Part 2 are a se
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