The Sweeper - A World Football Podcast

Lee Wingate and Paul Watson
  • 4.9 (74)
  • SOCCER
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

The Sweeper is a world football podcast telling fascinating stories from the global game – from the World Cup and Champions League to the most obscure and overlooked competitions on earth. Hosted by Lee Wingate and Paul Watson, the show covers all 211 FIFA nations and beyond, touching on geopolitics, geography, politics, history, culture, travel and identity. Join us for an ample supply of chaos, cross-border clubs, underdogs, ultras, away days, players with unusual day jobs and football in places you didn’t know had teams! 🎧 Weekly episodes ⭐ 5-star rated 🌍 Listeners in 180 countries

  1. 1D AGO

    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 on the only country excluded from the FIFA rankings. Plus, the Belarusian team in exile in Poland and the Russian war critic making waves in Cyprus. Sweeper football shirts: ⁠https://stingz.co/collections/sweeper-podcast⁠ Deutsche Welle documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMRQQYGNBK8 Chapters: 00:00 – Intro 01:14 – Eritrea’s international absence 04:55 – Dictatorships and defection 09:16 – The long-awaited return to the fold 13:30 – The state of play in the national team 19:02 – Poland’s Belarusian club in exile 22:47 – Sweeper shirts and special bonus pod 24:17 – Russia’s war critic turned club owner

    29 min

  2. MAR 17

    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 conceivable scenarios and analyse the most turbulent build-up to a World Cup in living memory. Plus: The Barcelona fan who went to the wrong St. James’ Park and Welsh club Llantwit Major’s hilarious cup run. BUY THE SHIRTS: ⁠⁠https://stingz.co/collections/sweeper-podcast⁠⁠ Get £6 off with Patreon: ⁠⁠https://patreon.com/sweeperpod⁠ The Guardian on the 1930 World Cup: https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/may/13/world-cup-stunning-moments-25-conte-verde-uruguay The Los Angeles Times on India: https://www.latimes.com/archives/blogs/sports-now/story/2011-07-19/did-india-withdraw-from-the-1950-world-cup-because-they-were-not-allowed-to-play-barefoot Chapters 00:00 – Intro 00:55 – Iran’s World Cup predicament 04:35 – USA fit to host tournament? 08:09 – Scenario 1 – Iran play at World Cup 11:25 – Historical precedents for withdrawals 16:40 – Scenario 2 – Iran withdraw from World Cup 20:55 – Barca fan’s extreme travel mix-up 29:17 – Llantwit Major’s wacky cup run

    32 min

  3. MAR 10

    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 for Steaua Bucharest’s history. Plus: The Italian coach who sacked himself after 44 years and the German pirate island club with no opponents. BUY THE SHIRTS: ⁠https://stingz.co/collections/sweeper-podcast⁠   Get £6 off with Patreon: ⁠https://patreon.com/sweeperpod Chapters 00:00 – Intro 00:57 – FCSB’s nightmare season 02:19 – The battle for Steaua’s history 10:09 – Unlikely European Cup winners quiz 14:07 – Gigi Becali: Football’s craziest owner 17:39 – The coach who sacked himself 23:04 – Football’s longest-serving managers 26:10 – The club with no opponents

    34 min

  4. MAR 9

    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.

    1 min

  5. MAR 3

    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 by months and cut down to 60 minutes? Is it really possible to groundhop in Pyongyang? And how have North Korea’s women become one of the strongest forces in football – especially at youth level? Join us for all the answers in this episode, in which we also tell the story of the Colombian club totally transformed under Wrexham’s Hollywood owners and unveil our first-ever merch: The Sweeper Podcast football shirts. BUY THE SHIRTS: https://stingz.co/collections/sweeper-podcast Get £6 off with Patreon: https://patreon.com/sweeperpod Chapters 00:00 – Intro 01:25 – The DPRK Premier League 05:41 – Bizarre North Korean broadcasts 09:08 – Groundhopping in Pyongyang 13:43 – Unrivalled success at youth level 18:40 – Wrexham's Hollywood duo in Colombia 26:32 – The Sweeper's football shirts

    30 min

  6. FEB 24

    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 rifles to the supermarket to stave off polar bear attacks? So who used to play here, on this northernmost 11-a-side pitch in the world? Why did it all change after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine? And why do so many Liverpool fans live in this Arctic wilderness? Next, we hop over to Central America, where a family feud is ruining birthdays and leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. So what scenario is unfolding here that is happening nowhere else in the world? Finally, there’s a club in a local amateur league whose players are forced to play every match at home. Why are they banned from ever playing away? And which former professional footballer is employed to guard them? Chapters 00:00 – Intro 01:34 – Bodø/Glimt's UCL magic 04:51 – Football at the top of the world 07:59 – Four fun facts about Svalbard 12:27 – El Salvador's family feud 16:02 – Family coaching battles 20:03 – Poland's Nazi-defying club 22:51 – Hashtag United's cup clash 26:06 – Jonker Boys' unusual restriction Around The World in 80 Clubs: ⁠https://geni.us/WorldIn80Clubs

    29 min

  7. FEB 17

    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 slow this extraordinary fixture down in 2026? Next, we explore the remarkable story of a top-flight club who have not lost a league game since before the pandemic. How have they stayed unbeaten for so long – and why, despite that run, are they still not the most dominant team in world football? Finally, we turn to the international game and the national team hoping to represent what could become the world’s newest country in 2027. But if independence comes, will they be welcomed into the global football family – or left waiting on the sidelines? Chapters 00:00 – Intro 01:14 – The world’s most-played fixture 11:21 – Other contenders for the title 14:45 – The longest unbeaten run in history 22:00 – Around The World in 80 Clubs 25:30 – The world’s newest national team? Bougainville – A New Country: https://www.arte.tv/en/videos/126735-000-A/arte-reportage/ Around The World in 80 Clubs: https://geni.us/WorldIn80Clubs

    34 min

  8. FEB 10

    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 this was no ordinary game. It was the most politically charged football match we’ve ever seen. The reason for that lies far beyond the football pitch. Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is funding clubs in neighbouring countries as part of a broader political strategy – one that may help him win re-election in April and shape the balance of power in the EU. Elsewhere, the Copa Libertadores is reportedly preparing to invite guest clubs from Mexico and the US to participate in the competition starting in 2027, while Chinese football has hit a new low after nine of the Super League’s 16 clubs were deducted points. Chapters 00:00 - Intro 01:49 - Live game: DAC 1904 v Slovan Bratislava 14:32 - Viktor Orbán's political power play 21:18 - Copa Libertadores guest invitations 23:04 - Analysis from Jon Arnold 25:59 - China's Super League low point 27:21 - Analysis from John Duerden Sources for the lead story Atlatszo: https://english.atlatszo.hu/2018/12/11/the-orban-government-spent-billions-on-hungarian-football-clubs-in-serbia-romania-and-slovakia Balkan Insight: https://balkaninsight.com/2025/07/08/hungary-and-croatia-build-stadium-for-e7-5-million-in-village-of-500-inhabitants Denník: https://dennikn.sk/1380564/bolo-to-ako-vojna-bitka-policajtov-s-fanusikmi-dunajskej-stredy-po-ktorej-sa-zmenil-zakon/ Radio Free Europe: https://www.rferl.org/a/hungary-orban-sport-influence-romania/31977287.html Salzburger Nachrichten:https://www.sn.at/sport/fussball/international/dac-dunajska-streda-orbans-aushaengeschild-in-der-slowakei-art-371392

    30 min
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About

The Sweeper is a world football podcast telling fascinating stories from the global game – from the World Cup and Champions League to the most obscure and overlooked competitions on earth. Hosted by Lee Wingate and Paul Watson, the show covers all 211 FIFA nations and beyond, touching on geopolitics, geography, politics, history, culture, travel and identity. Join us for an ample supply of chaos, cross-border clubs, underdogs, ultras, away days, players with unusual day jobs and football in places you didn’t know had teams! 🎧 Weekly episodes ⭐ 5-star rated 🌍 Listeners in 180 countries

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