The Sweeper - A World Football Podcast - Lee Wingate and Paul Watson

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