Tired of the Premier League and big-league European football? Want to discover the hidden stories of the global game?
The Sweeper Podcast is your passport to the most extraordinary stories from across the football world. From the World Cup and Champions League to the most obscure and overlooked competitions on earth, expert journalists Lee Wingate and Paul Watson explore the intersection of football, travel, geography, geopolitics, history and culture.
Start here:
🎧 Red Bull’s Italian expansion plans (28 April 2026)
🎧 North Korea’s top-secret league (3 March 2026)
🎧 Greenland left out in the cold (24 June 2025)
Hit “Follow” to discover new stories from the global game every Tuesday. Join us Patreon at patreon.com/sweeperpod for bonus podcasts every Thursday. Contact: hello@sweeperpod.com.
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World soccer archive
The Sweeper is the only podcast committed to covering the beautiful game in all 211 FIFA countries – and beyond. The archives include deep dives into:
EUROPEAN FOOTBALL (UEFA)
• Countries: Andorra, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Faroe Islands, Finland, Gibraltar, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania, San Marino, Switzerland, Ukraine
• Clubs: Austria Salzburg, Bodø/Glimt, Bursaspor, Ceuta, Kairat Almaty, Ludogorets, Mjällby, Paks, Qarabag, Shakhtar Donetsk, Steaua Bucharest, Südtirol, Thun, Vaduz
• Competitions: Champions League, Conference League, Coupe de France, Europa League, European Championship
ASIAN FOOTBALL (AFC)
• Countries: Australia, Bhutan, China, India, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Myanmar, North Korea, Northern Mariana Islands, South Korea, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
• Clubs: Arkadag, Gimcheon Sangmu, Heidelberg United, Johor Darul Taz’im, Machida Zelvia, Mohun Bagan, Neom, Thimphu City
• Competitions: Asian Cup, Challenge League, Champions League 2, Champions League Elite
AFRICAN FOOTBALL (CAF)
• Countries: Algeria, Cape Verde, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Madagascar, Mauritania, Morocco, Sudan, Zanzibar
• Clubs: Al Ahly, Al Hilal Omdurman, Mamelodi Sundowns, Pyramids, Rahimo FC, RS Berkane
• Competitions: Africa Cup of Nations, Champions League, Confederation Cup
NORTH & CENTRAL AMERICAN FOOTBALL (CONCACAF)
• Countries: Anguilla, Belize, Bonaire, Canada, Curacao, Guyana, Haiti, Mexico, Montserrat, Suriname, USA
• Clubs: El Farolito, FC Supra du Québec, Robinhood FC, Vancouver Whitecaps
• Competitions: Caribbean Cup, CFU Shield, Champions Cup, Gold Cup
OCEANIAN FOOTBALL (OFC)
• Countries: American Samoa, Cook Islands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Tahiti, Vanuatu
• Clubs: Auckland FC, Bula FC, Hekari United, Solomon Kings, South Island United, South Melbourne, Tahiti United, Vanuatu FC
• Competitions: OFC Champions League, OFC Pro League
SOUTH AMERICAN FOOTBALL (CONMEBOL)
• Countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela
• Clubs: Chapecoense, Coquimbo Unido, Mirassol, Mushuc Runa, The Strongest
• Competitions: Copa América, Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana
REST OF THE WORLD
• Countries: Bougainville, Greenland, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Monaco, Nauru, Palau, Scilly Isles, Tuvalu, Vatican City
• Clubs: B67 Nuuk
• Competitions: CONIFA World Football Cup, Fenix Trophy
Topics: Altitude, amateurs, artificial intelligence, away days, cross-border clubs, cross-border leagues, day jobs, defections, derbies, dictatorships, elections, exclaves, fairytales, Football Manager, Futbology, groundhopping, identity, investigative journalism, islands, micro-states, minnows, multi-club ownership, non-league, outsiders, play-offs, promotion, relegation, sports washing, stories, ultras, unbeaten runs, underdogs, winning streaks
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Données mises à jour le 09/09/2026
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Algeria’s desert gateway, Mauritius’ island upstarts & Lesotho’s funeral schemers
mardi 8 septembre 2026 • Durée 22:18
There are plenty of tough places to go for a CAF Champions League away game this season. But few can rival the harsh climes of the desert, where Algerian club JS Saoura are from.
The Eagles, who are based in Béchar – a city often referred to as “the gateway to the Sahara”, finished as runners-up in the Ligue Professionelle 1 last season and sealed their spot in the qualifying rounds of the CAF Champions League.
So how did a club from this Saharan outpost ascend to Algeria’s top table in record time? Just how difficult is it for their domestic rivals who travel 3,000 kilometres to the desert? And what are their chances against Horoya of Guinea in the first round?
Plus, Mauritian upstarts La Cure Waves prepare for their first game on the African mainland, Lesotho’s Lijabatho FC come up with a curious funeral scheme for their fans and Burkinabe club Rahimo FC’s bus company business model proves a hit.
Join us on Patreon at patreon.com/sweeperpod for Monday’s bumper bonus podcast featuring tales such as the Kenyan dispute that has delayed the start to the season and the renegade Italian club wearing an illegal kit that the authorities have not yet spotted.
Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
01:17 – JS Saoura: The gateway to the desert
04:31 – La Cure Waves: The holiday island upstarts
09:40 – The countries not in the Champions League
13:35 – Patreon plug for Monday’s episode
14:58 – Lijabatho FC: The funeral schemers
18:35 – Rahimo FC: The wholesome bus boys
Sabah’s quiz show coach, Andorra’s league phase debut & Crete’s decade-long odyssey
mardi 1 septembre 2026 • Durée 36:51
There are some simply sensational stories to be told about the 108 league phase participants in the three UEFA club competitions this season.
For example, it’s not every day that a ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire’ contestant uses their winnings to become a football manager in England, starts out in the ninth tier and eventually guides a nine-year-old Azerbaijani club into the UEFA Champions League!
So how much did Lithuanian tactician Valdas Dambrauskas win to kickstart his managerial career? How has he taken Sabah to a first league title and the pinnacle of European club football in just one year? And why do the club from Maksimir play in pink?
Plus, second-tier Portuguese side Torreense prepare for a Europa League campaign in cyclone-hit Leiria, Inter Club d’Escaldes achieve an historic milestone for Andorra and Greek islanders OFI Crete complete a remarkable rebound from administration.
Join us on Patreon at patreon.com/sweeperpod for Thursday’s round-up of all the best domestic cup stories across Europe – including the Slovak tie between two clubs with the same president – plus a preview of the returning Palestinian league.
Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
01:10 – Sabah: The quiz show contestant
12:23 – Inter d’Escaldes: The micro-state trailblazers
21:43 – Torreense: The second-tier cup winners
26:40 – Jagiellonia Białystok: The winning Wi-Fi password
29:39 – OFI Crete: The revived islanders
33:45 – Yaya Touré, Viking, Hearts: The best of the rest
JDT’s world-record unbeaten run, the DFB-Pokal’s smallest-ever village & the UECACAF Nations League
mardi 25 août 2026 • Durée 32:01
There’s totally dominating a league – and then there’s Johor Darul Ta’zim! The Malaysians have won the last 12 Super Leagues, the joint-longest active title-winning run in world football.
But JDT are currently in the limelight for a different reason: they have set a new record for the longest league unbeaten streak in football history at 109 games, surpassing the run of Ivorian club ASEC Mimosas between 1989 and 1994.
So how did they become such an all-conquering force? Why have they drawn scrutiny and criticism for their methods? And are they the world's most dominant team at national level?
Plus, Krieschow (with 560 inhabitants) becomes the smallest village to ever host a match in Germany’s DFB-Pokal, and UEFA reportedly talk to CONCACAF about joining forces on a new Nations League as the backlash against FIFA continues.
Join us on Patreon at patreon.com/sweeperpod for a Korean student’s real-life game of Football Manager in Malawi, a former tennis star playing in Austria’s lower leagues and an Albanian club owner literally throwing the cash around.
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 in the Copa Libertadores – even reaching the final three times. But a confederation switch would be another matter entirely.
So why would the FMF want to join South America’s governing body? What would be the pros and cons of leaving CONCACAF and moving down south? And which countries have set a precedent by trading one confederation for another in the past?
Plus, Malawi’s women make history by reaching the AFCON final – despite being the lowest-ranked country in the entire competition. And Ireland prepares for the launch of its brand-new third division: the FAI National League.
Join us on Patreon at patreon.com/sweeperpod for a full report from the Super Cup final between PSG and Aston Villa in Salzburg, where Somali referee Omar Artan became the first non-European to take charge of a major UEFA final.
Ali Howorth's excellent article about Malawi's women's team: 'Two clubs, two sisters and a condom company: how Malawi emerged from obscurity to the verge of the World Cup' is on his Substack here.
Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
00:50 – Mexico’s CONMEBOL switch rumours
03:37 – Past involvement in South America
Miquelon’s Coupe de France debut, Greenland’s chaotic championship & Guinea-Bissau’s presidential escape
mardi 11 août 2026 • Durée 32:47
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 the very first time, after AS Miquelonnaise won the local qualifying tournament.
But how does qualification work when there are only three teams in the archipelago? Why does Saint Pierre & Miquelon’s representative always start earlier than other overseas territories? And could a North American team theoretically play in the Europa League?
Plus, more withdrawals than usual from the week-long national championship forces Greenland into a strategic re-think. And Caito Teixeira, the president of Guinea-Bissau’s FA, breaches his bail conditions and goes on the run!
Join us on Patreon at patreon.com/sweeperpod for a bonus episode this Thursday all about the 2026 OFC Champions League and how the most remote places on the planet watch football.
Sweeper listeners get 10% off at Golaço Kits by using the code SWEEPER10 at checkout and if you join us on Patreon, you will get 15% off!
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 each.
It’s easier to understand why the big guns resisted, but the money could have transformed the smaller nations, so why have so many of them declined the offer? And which tiny island’s FA condemned the plan despite being run by...FIFA-appointed officials?
Plus, Montenegro’s four clubs are all eliminated from UEFA club competition qualifying with a perfectly awful record of 10 games and 10 defeats. We examine why they fared so badly. Plus a Colombian giant is knocked out of the cup...by their own reserves!
Join us on Patreon at patreon.com/sweeperpod for a bonus episode this Thursday all about the death and resurrection of former Portuguese champions Boavista.
Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
00:46 – FIFA’s collapsing house of cards
01:56 – Montserrat
08:15 – Guadeloupe
11:52 – Nepal
14:30 – Comoros
21:10 – Montenegro’s continental calamity
29:36 – Colombia’s cold-blood reserves
World Cup 2026: Cape Verde’s tourism boost, Paraguay’s rags to riches keeper & an England fan manhunt
mardi 7 juillet 2026 • Durée 34:06
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, scored by Sydny Lopes Cabral, who was playing in the German fifth tier not long ago and was so poor that he was hanging up binbags as makeshift curtains.
But how does the game compare to other World Cup classics in the modern era? And what will Cape Verde’s fairytale run do for tourism in the country?
Another outsider surpassing expectations is Paraguay, who eliminated four-time world champions Germany. Goalkeeper Orlando Gill, who was facing his idol Manuel Neuer, boasts one of the best rags to riches stories at the tournament.
Plus: Viral Kiwi Tim Payne completes a transfer to Olimpia in South America and an England fan sparks an international manhunt.
World Cup 2026: Cape Verde’s Messi meeting, Doctor Congo in dreamland & the Habsburg Derby
mardi 30 juin 2026 • Durée 36:39
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 their first-ever World Cup appearance? And which others made it through the group phase with three draws?
Elsewhere, there are some ties with intriguing political backdrops. Austria face Spain in a battle of the two branches of the Habsburg family, while co-hosts Mexico and Ecuador go head-to-head in the Latin American Embassy Derby. There’s also a sinister history between Germany and Paraguay, an assassination plot involving England and DR Congo, and an air base that will link the USA and Bosnia forever.
Plus: South Korea’s president intervenes following the country’s miserable World Cup performance, Marcelo Bielsa has a full-scale meltdown on camera and Tunisia stake a claim for being the worst team at the World Cup.
World Cup 2026: The Gijón grudge match, a Dutch royal groundhop & Hervé Renard’s crisp white shirts
mardi 23 juin 2026 • Durée 32:00
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.
Elsewhere, Hervé Renard and his crisp white shirts have failed to salvage Tunisia’s campaign, a marriage proposal went wrong at the Uruguay-Cape Verde match and Senegal have resorted to ordering takeaways to their team hotel in the absence of a proper chef.
Plus: Borja Iglesias struggles to get into the Spain training base, an Iranian player has his celebrity aunt to thank for his call-up, German fan Freddy sparks a bidding war from North American airlines and Montevideo tops the all-time World Cup birthplace table.
Chapters
00:00 – Intro
01:10 – Shocking scandals
11:18 – Famous fans
16:58 – Crazy call-ups
21:55 – Miscellaneous mayhem
26:09 – Bountiful birthplaces
World Cup 2026: Balogun’s curious US citizenship, Peru’s mascot drug raid & Algeria’s sleep tax
mardi 16 juin 2026 • Durée 31:35
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, Algeria have begun a love affair with the people of host state Kansas, who have completely thrown their support behind the team, while Scotland are BBQing with AirBnB hosts in Boston and South Korean fans are forging a tequila-based bond in Mexico City.
Plus: Cape Verde stun the football world against Spain, Brazil and Mexico contest the ‘Non-European European Border Derby’, Australia’s refugee strikeforce make a flying start and Algeria top the ‘World Cup Sleep Tax’ table.
Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
00:50 – Cape Verde’s heroics
04:45 – Curious citizenships
10:20 – Glorious geography
14:10 – Strange statistics
20:26 – Beautiful bonds
25:40 – Amazing animals
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05:30 – Pros & cons of confederation move
13:25 – Precedents for a continental switch
17:04 – Countries in a different geographic confederation
22:21 – Outsider Malawi’s historic WAFCON run
27:09 – Ireland’s brand-new third division
10:32 – North America in the Europa League?
16:59 – Greenland’s chaotic championship
26:50 – Guinea-Bissau’s presidential escape
31:05 – Golaço Kits competition
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26:55 – Tim Payne’s Olimpia move
29:48 – An England fan manhunt
00:00 – Intro
02:38 – Debutants and draws
05:10 – Knockout newcomers
10:50 – Cape Verde’s Messi meeting
17:51 – Political pairings
28:11 – Regrets and recriminations
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