The Sweeper - World Football Stories

Lee Wingate and Paul Watson
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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. 2D AGO

    Qarabağ's historic Champions League run, Portugal's viral TV priest & Brugge'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 decades in exile in the capital Baku. Elsewhere, Bodø/Glimt stunned the continent by qualifying for the knockouts despite not playing domestic football since November, while Benfica hit the headlines with a goalkeeper goal and a viral TV interview from a local priest. Club Brugge also progressed through the league phase, but that will not be the enduring memory of their season for three fans who accompanied the team to Kazakhstan and ended up in jail in one of the strangest away-day stories of the season. Ghost Cities FC by James Montague for the BBC: www.bbc.com/audio/play/p0lxg7xy Chapters 00:00 – Intro 00:41 – Qarabağ's historic Champions League run 02:01 – A story of exile and homecoming 07:22 – Soft power and state support 10:50 – The secret to their sporting success 14:37 – The challenges ahead: Newcastle and Sabah 17:02 – Patreon preview: Chapecoense and South America 18:33 – Another milestone for Bodø/Glimt 21:45 – Benfica's keeper goal and priest interview 26:07 – Brugge's congratulations and Borat arrests

    30 min

  2. JAN 27

    The Finnish Cup: Santa's little helpers, Round 0 & a four-hour draw

    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 speak to Tomi Leivo-Jokimäki, the chief organiser at the Finnish Football Association, about its soaring popularity, English influence and the trophy's wacky back story. Finally, we take a look at other unique cup competitions across the European continent – from France’s all-inclusive cup to Bosnia’s strange final. Chapters 00:00 – Intro 00:32 – Santa Claus' other big moment 03:38 – The uniqueness of the Finnish Cup 05:42 – A typical run in the competition 07:40 – Favourite Finnish club names 09:38 – Interview with Tomi Leivo-Jokimäki 23:20 – Patreon episode sneak peak 24:29 – Cup craziness across Europe

    31 min

  3. JAN 20

    Luxembourg's digger president, Dutch Bible Belt complications & Belgium's angriest dad

    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, where an amateur club in the KNVB Beker are guaranteed to lift a trophy whether they win the competition or not.   To complete the Benelux trio we finish off in Belgium, where an angry father, a potential Iraqi investor and a revolving door of coaches have allegedly turned Olympic Charleroi into a hot mess.   Chapters 00:00 – Intro 00:45 – Atert Bissen’s remarkable rise 06:35 – Rapid risers across the globe 08:40 – De Treffers & the Blue Pine Cone 14:40 – Amateur rewards worldwide 18:00 – Chaos at Olympic Charleroi 22:20 – Special Sweeper announcement

    25 min

  4. JAN 6

    Tahiti's tomorrow travels, Germany's fast food coach & 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 are the standout players to watch out for? And what does the new tournament mean for the future of the OFC Champions League?In Part 2, there are stories from Europe, Africa and Asia. In Germany, a former Bundesliga coach is managing two McDonald’s restaurants – but what other unusual careers have footballers had after hanging up their boots? At AFCON, Mali have turned to a fetish priest to tip fate in their favour for their game against Tunisia. What on earth is one of those, we hear you ask?! And finally, Japan prepares for its transition to an autumn-spring league. But which J-League club have been royally screwed over by the switch? Chapters 00:00 – Intro 04:11 – OFC Pro League: Format & fixtures 08:58 – OFC Pro League: Distances & date lines 13:24 – OFC Pro League: Intriguing individuals 23:23 – OFC Pro League: Concurrent competitions 27:54 – The German ex-coach working at McDonald's 31:32 – Strangest former footballer careers 38:53 – Mali's fetish priest & Gabon's letter 46:03 – Japan's schedule switch & Fukushima United

    55 min

  5. 12/23/2025

    India’s Super League crisis, Poland’s utterly mad 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 attempt to illegally naturalise seven players? And why did Gus Poyet resign in protest after winning the double with Jeonbuk in South Korea? In Part 2, Africa correspondent Ali Howorth drops in before flying to Morocco to give us the lowdown on AFCON 2025 and help us decide which team to support at the tournament. Then it’s over to Europe to put the Ekstraklasa under the microscope. But what unique situation that we have never seen before has occurred in Poland’s top flight? And finally, to mark the festive season, there is a mention for Christmas Island – an Australian overseas territory that is known for its red crabs and its football rivalry with the nearby Cocos Islands. World Soccer magazine special offer: shop.kelsey.co.uk/sweeperxmas25 John Duerden’s Substack newsletter: https://howfootballexplainsasia.substack.com Ali Howarth’s AFCON flow chart: https://x.com/ahoworth97/status/2001293214012014953 Chapters 00:00 – Intro 00:35 – India’s Super League crisis 08:56 – Other leagues in limbo worldwide 11:29 – Malaysia’s naturalisation scandal 21:47 – Gus Poyet’s Jeonbuk departure 27:17 – AFCON 2025 in Morocco 39:55 – The crazy Polish Ekstraklasa 44:25 – Mayhem & chaos across UEFA 48:00 – Christmas Island and red crabs 53:45 – On The Spot - The Apertura crown

    56 min

  6. 12/09/2025

    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's bottom club qualify for the top continental competition? And who are FC Supra du Quebec, the new club joining the division in 2026? In Part 2, it's the usual array of stories from across the world. Several French overseas territories award four points for a win – but what other location-specific football rules exist around the world? Lee tests Paul in a quiz! Over in Norway, a season of surprises continues as Viking claim the Eliteserien and second-tier Lillestrøm win the Norwegian Cup. We hear from Viking's No.1 overseas fan Babsi! And finally, the 2026 World Cup group stage draw is now done and dusted. Which debutant has the best chance of going through? Copa 90 documentary on Vancouver Whitecaps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6Hnk37Lwo8 Weird and wacky football rules: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_tournament_ranking_system#Association_football Chapters: 00:00 – Intro 00:47 – Canada's World Cup prospects 02:38 – The Vancouver Whitecaps story 07:24 – Relocation fears 11:35 – Vancouver FC's Champions Cup qualification 15:33 – The newcomers: FC Supra du Québec 17:50 – The departure: Valour FC 19:43 – The rebrand: Inter Toronto 24:33 – Four points per win in the Caribbean 28:15 – Bizarre football rules quiz 36:30 – Norway's season of surprises 48:14 – Debutant World Cup groups 50:38 – On The Spot

    53 min

  7. 11/25/2025

    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 Curacao 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 Cup hopes? And was it a cowardly move for Steve McClaren to resign as Jamaica coach with the play-offs coming up in March? In Part 2, the focus switches to three stories across three different continents that have caught our eye at Sweeper HQ: promoted Thun's Swiss title charge, Al Hilal and Al Merrikh's move to Rwanda, and a controversial new championship title in Argentina. What has coach Mauro Lustrinelli done to help Thun take the Super League by storm this season? What exclusive club have the Sudanese duo of Al Hilal and Al Merrikh joined by moving to Rwanda? And will Argentina really have eight title-winners every year?!   More from Jon Arnold: YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@jonarnoldfc Substack newsletter: https://getconcacafed.substack.com   Chapters: 00:00 – Intro 00:51 – Curacao's World Cup miracle 13:17 – Haiti's triumph in face of adversity 23:47 – The own goal that saved Suriname 26:57 – The inter-confederation play-offs 28:35 – Steve McClaren's Jamaica exit 35:40 – Thun's extraordinary Swiss title tilt 39:48 – 2025: The year of the promoted club 41:48 – Sudanese duo's Rwanda move 45:19 – Trivia: Three-country football clubs 46:49 – Argentina's new championship title 51:07 – On The Spot

    53 min

  8. 11/11/2025

    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 water in Argentina, where underdogs are sweeping up the trophies? And which other South American country deserves a special mention? In Part 2, the focus moves to elsewhere in the southern hemisphere: Oceania. Lee attended the soft launch event for the OFC Pro League, the continent’s first-ever professional competition, and has some interesting nuggets to share. Where and when will the OFC Pro League get under way? How will the tournament benefit the Tahiti and Fiji national teams. Is Christchurch United’s rebrand as South Island United a good or bad decision? And would South Melbourne theoretically be able to represent Oceania at the Club World Cup? More from Copa Club Podcast: https://linktr.ee/thecopaclub Substack: https://thecopaclub.substack.com Chapters 00:00 – Intro 01:48 – Chile’s pirate champions 08:53 – Brazil’s meteoric risers 18:47 – Argentina’s year of the underdog 21:03 – Bolivian identity fraud 25:09 – Sweepers On Tour 26:11 – OFC Pro League recap 28:02 – OFCPL: Launches & logistics 33:27 – OFCPL: Coaches & CEOs 37:15 – OFCPL: Rebrands & reserves 40:29 – OFCPL: Non-OFC neighbours 45:16 – On The Spot

    48 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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