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PODCAST

The Sweeper

Lee Wingate and Paul Watson

Welcome to The Sweeper Podcast, the unique world football show covering all 211 FIFA countries and beyond. Join Lee Wingate and Paul Watson for the best headlines from across the football world, and news, stories, insight and interviews you won"t find elsewhere.Whether you"re into underdogs and upsets, ultras and fan culture, groundhopping and travel, derbies and rivalries, geography and geopolitics, or simply want a break from the relentless churn of big-money football, The Sweeper Podcast has you

sports soccer

All Episodes

48:55

Austria's football-sized sinkholes, Kosovo’s UEFA...

The Sweeper ·

2025/09/16

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 geopolitical challengesErling Haaland apologises mid-game as Norway beat Moldova by record 11-1 scoreSlovakia and

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54:54

Kairat's Champions League heroics, Malta's European...

The Sweeper ·

2025/09/02

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 announcer and the Basel-Freiburg airport derby. In Part 2, it’s off to the Pacific to put the new OFC

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57:35

Tiny Mjällby's fairytale season, Belgium’s barmy...

The Sweeper ·

2025/08/19

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 based on Europe’s weirdest international border?In Part 2, it’s time for the rest of the world – starting

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56:50

The Øresund Bridge derby, haircut breaks in Nuuk &...

The Sweeper ·

2025/08/05

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 Lithuania? Is there a more Satnav-friendly international tie than Shelbourne v. Linfield? And what can

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5:55

Summer break & thank-you note!

The Sweeper ·

2025/07/22

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 second of making this pod and without you, our listeners, who tune in to every episode, send us stories,

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51:46

The birth of Rayo Vaticano, Tromsø’s 'Midnight Match'...

The Sweeper ·

2025/07/08

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 Cold War delay a European tie between Northern Ireland's Glenavon and Germany's Aue by 65 years? In

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57:12

Greenland’s CONCACAF rejection, Samsunspor’s smurf...

The Sweeper ·

2025/06/24

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 places on earth to play the beautiful game?In Part 2, it’s back to the club game with stories about the

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1:00:39

Oceania’s champion dentist, Uzbekistan’s curse...

The Sweeper ·

2025/06/10

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 last minute? How on earth did Red Bull Salzburg qualify? Why are the Seattle Sounders players

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51:23

Croatia’s motorway delivery, Sweden’s fishing village...

The Sweeper ·

2025/05/27

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 you think about the new format in the comments! Part 1 is largely dedicated to some epic title races

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50:38

Riots and donkeys in Belgium, Arctic Circle ticket...

The Sweeper ·

2025/05/13

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 Belgian football stadium is a contender for Europe’s ugliest stadium? How did fourth-tier Crossing

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52:15

Avellino's Pope curse, Russia’s fake Zorya Luhansk &...

The Sweeper ·

2025/04/29

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 world’s largest country: Russia. Why are spin-offs of Ukrainian clubs from occupied territories springing

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52:49

Holy water in Benin, Greece’s season ticket dog &...

The Sweeper ·

2025/04/15

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 supporters of Loto Popo in Benin spray on the away team bus during their recent match with Bani Gansé? Are WSG

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52:25

Footballs in international waters, an Alpine...

The Sweeper ·

2025/04/01

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 Police’, whether they were mugged by young children in a micro-state and what happened when they dared to ask

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59:13

The trillion-dollar Saudi team, Bosnia’s Serbian...

The Sweeper ·

2025/03/18

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 their futuristic home city that will have flying cars and robots. But why do the richest club in the

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48:05

Japan’s ultimate bench-warmer, Andorra’s YouTube...

The Sweeper ·

2025/03/04

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.comwith some information about yourself and your preferences if you want us to handpick you a new football team to support. In Part 1, it’s all about Asia. Shandong Taishan have withdrawn from the AFC Champions League due to the "serious physical

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49:31

Romania's reality TV race, Australia's motorway...

The Sweeper ·

2025/02/18

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/FIFAPlusSweeperSend 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 in Part 1. A Romanian coach has temporarily left his league-leading side to join a televised race across Asia. But

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43:12

Ferencváros' ultras in disguise, HamKam 2’s AI coach...

The Sweeper ·

2025/02/04

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 the Danish town of Herning? Does Ryan Kent love his pet crocodiles more than his own family? How did the

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53:04

Ascension Island’s tortoise troubles, Omonia’s...

The Sweeper ·

2025/01/21

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 American-style format. Our final stop in this segment is Cyprus, where Omonia Nicosia are preparing to face

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00:50:15

Balzers’ Internet fame, the world’s newest league &...

The Sweeper ·

2025/01/07

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/FIFAPlusSweeper⁠The 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 Instagram followers almost overnight – but how have they achieved their stratospheric growth? In

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00:50:06

Víkingur’s 13-month season, Vitória’s crazy Kazakh...

The Sweeper ·

2024/12/24

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 have a panel of experts from across Europe: Andy Brassell from On The Continent in the UK, Hinrik Wöhler

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