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

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

In Part 1, Lee sits down with Virslīga President Maksims Krivunecs in Riga for an inside look at the Latvian football landscape. What is Latvia’s unique claim to fame within the 55 UEFA countries? Why have five of the country’s nine different champions since independence gone out of business? What does the average Virslīga footballer earn per month? And why is he in favour of setting up a Baltic League along with Lithuania and Estonia?

In Part 2, Lee returns to the virtual studio to dissect Maksim’s grand plan for a Baltic League and tell Paul all about the live experience at the Latvian Cup final. What format for the Baltic League take and how would the three stages of the competition work? What is the likelihood of it ever happening? Why was the Skonto Stadium in Riga only 14% full for the big match? And what exactly is the strange relationship between Riga FC and Auda FK?

*There is NO official proof on paper of an official relationship between Riga FC and Auda FK. Our source regarding their curious connection is Baltic Football News: balticfootballnews.com

Chapters

00:00 – Intro

01:10 – The good and bad of Latvian football

04:23 – The vanishing champion problem

12:11 – Memorable European nights

20:05 – The Baltic League grand plan

28:08 – Format, strengths & weaknesses

37:37 – The 2025 Latvian Cup final

47:20 – On The Spot

In Part 1, Lee and Paul reflect on ultimate underdogs Mjällby becoming Swedish champions and the key figures behind their unlikely Allsvenskan triumph. How have sporting director Hasse Larsson and coach Anders Torstensson shown courage in the face of adversity? Why are Mjällby the best-ever team in Swedish history? And why is the village of Hällevik looking for a new postman? And from one first-time champion to another, Titas Teiten of Baltic Football News has the lowdown on new Lithuanian title-winners Kauno Žalgiris.

Part 2 continues in Lithuania, where Lee has paid a visit to second-tier champions TransINVEST and their stunning newstadium to ask some key questions. How does a new club based in a village outside Vilnius and owned by a logistics company build a fanbase from scratch? What has the reaction been in the rest of Lithuania? And why is football firmlyin the shadow of basketball in this beautiful Baltic country? To finish off, there are tales of helicopters, heartbreak and heroism in Ireland, Iceland and Kazakhstan respectively.

More from Baltic Football News

Read the Baltic Football News Website

Listen to the Baltic Football Podcast

Chapters

00:00 – Intro

00:45 – The Mjällby miracle

09:37 – Kauno Žalgiris with Baltic Football News

14:08 – A trip to TransINVEST

29:45 – Ireland’s marathon helicopter

31:51 – Relegation for cup winners Vestri

32:50 – Final-day drama in Kazakhstan

34:23 – On The Spot

In Part 1 of this special episode, Paul is joined by African football expert Ali Howorth live from the Cape Verdean capital of Praia to talk about the country’s historic World Cup qualification. What force of nature helped the islanders get the job done against Eswatini? What were the highlights of the after-party? What role has the Dutch city of Rotterdam played in Cape Verde’s success? And why might the Blue Sharks have more fans than expected at the World Cup?

In Part 2, Lee and Paul hear from Cape Verde central defender Roberto Lopes, who explains the story of his international recruitment via LinkedIn, and discuss everything from diaspora to donkeys. Why are there as many Cape Verdeans living overseas as on the islands themselves? Which geographical and demographical records have they broken by qualifying? And how has the Portuguese colonial rule shaped the domestic game today?

More from Ali Howorth

On The Whistle Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@otw_podcast

Substack Newsletter: https://alasdairhoworth.substack.com/

Chapters

00:00 – Intro

01:52 – Ali Howorth live from Praia

18:47 – Cape Verde shirt giveaway

20:00 – Diaspora and DMs

24:07 – Roberto Lopes voice note

26:37 – Best international recruitments

28:58 – World Cup’s smallest nations

35:14 – Domestic football and donkeys

In Part 1, Lee tells Paul about his travels to watch pod favourites Greenland and San Marino live during their respective trips to Austria over the international window. How did he impact the course of the Arctic island's match against Slovenia from the sidelines? What insights did he glean from inside the Greenland camp? Why is the legendary Austrian striker Toni Polster so bitter towards San Marino? And what question did Lee ask SM coach Roberto Cevoli at the press conference following his side's double-digit defeat?

There's more groundhopping tales to tell in Part 2 – but this time from the club game, because Lee has also been to watch Paks against Ferencváros in a Hungarian top-of-the-table clash in Budapest. What resemblance do Hungary's surprise league leaders bear to Athletic Bilbao of Spain? Why is their ultra group named 'Atomic Strike'? Why did thousands of Ferencváros fans change places in the stands five minutes into the match? And why might we not recommend live football in Hungary to groundhoppers?

Support The Sweeper

• Join The Sweeper on Patreon

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Links

Watch Greenland's Football Heroes (in German) here

Chapters

00:00 – Intro

00:30 – Greenland: Assists & red cards

07:01 – Greenland: Insights from the camp

14:27 – San Marino: Double-digit demolition

20:23 – San Marino: The press conference

25:39 – Paks: The Athletic Bilbao of Hungary

29:12 – Football Manager save ideas

31:37 – Paks: Robbie Keane's many meltdowns

35:00 – Paks: The power plant ultra group

In Part 1, Lee and Paul investigate why Slovakia have finally been recognised as EURO 1976 winners 49 years later – with the help of a UEFA insider, a Slovak football podcaster and people on the ground in the capital, Bratislava. How is the successor country of a no-longer existing nation like Czechoslovakia determined? What brought about the update on UEFA’s website on 12 September? And what do Slovaks make of the bizarre timing of this decision?

In Part 2, the focus switches to the Italian lower leagues. There’s a mafia infiltration at Crotone at Foggia, as various criminal gangs target teams based in the south of Italy. Further north, Ternana appoint the 23-year-old daughter of a billionaire as their new club president. And Italy-based FC Südtirol face WSG Tirol of Austria, the club with only one away fan (sort of), in an intriguing match-up of two teams based in regions that used to be in the same country.

#slovakia #euro1976 #uefa #worldfootball #footballpodcast #crotone #ternana #seriec #serieb #italianfootball

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#MakeItHappen – Montserrat v India friendly

• X: https://x.com/SweeperPod/status/1970926209614979083

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Support The Sweeper

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Follow The Sweeper

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• Instagram: instagram.com/sweeperpod

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The Sweeper team

• Hosts: Lee Wingate and Paul Watson

• Editor: Ralph Foster

Chapters

00:00 – Intro

00:51 – Czechoslovakia's EURO 1976 win

05:27 – Football successor nations

09:28 – UEFA's recognition for Slovakia

14:21 – Reaction from Bratislava

25:47 – Montserrat's challenge to India

30:04 – Crotona's mafia infiltration

35:00 – Atalanta U23s in Serie C south

37:47 – Ternana's 23-year-old club president

42:17 – Serie C on FIFA+

44:04 – Battle of the Italian & Austrian Tyrols

46:10 – WSG Tirol's one away supporter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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: Europe

• Austria’s stadium sinkhole saga continues as Ralf Rangnick takes to an e-bike
• Romania’s Mircea Lucescu becomes the second-oldest international coach ever
• Kosovo are unofficial world champions - but continue to face geopolitical challenges
• Erling Haaland apologises mid-game as Norway beat Moldova by record 11-1 score
• Slovakia and Iceland upset the odds to record famous World Cup qualifying wins

Part 2: Rest of the world

• Suriname turn around their fortunes with sports passport initiative & Dutch DNA
• Bolivia rely on altitude again to give themselves an edge in World Cup qualifying
• Uzbekistan continue incredible year by beating Iran to win 2025 CAFA Nations Cup
• Nepal cancel Bangladesh friendly due to civil unrest & elect new leader on Discord
• Northern Mariana Islands’ U23s face China in one of football’s biggest mismatches

The Sweeper is the global football podcast bringing you weird and wonderful stories from every corner of the planet. 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 has you covered!

Support The Sweeper:

• Join The Sweeper on Patreon
• Support The Sweeper on Buy Me A Coffee

The Sweeper team

• Hosts: Lee Wingate and Paul Watson
• Editor: Ralph Foster

Chapters:

00:00 – Intro

00:58 – Austrian sink holes and bicycles

05:34 – Mircea Lucescu: Football’s oldest coach?

09:08 – The 2025 Amateur Nations Cup

11:14 – The World Tram Driver Championship

13:48 – Kosovo’s unofficial world title

16:18 – UEFA’s seven banned match-ups

21:35 – Norway’s demolition job on Moldova

26:33 – Celebrations for Slovakia & Iceland

31:03 – Suriname’s World Cup push

34:59 – Bolivia’s strategic masterclass

38:25 – New Caledonia’s Gibraltar friendly

40:56 – Uzbekistan are Central Asian champions

42:29 – Nepal’s protest-related cancellation

45:02 – China’s U23s thrash Northern Mariana Islands

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Professional League under the microscope. There is a full breakdown of the newly announced eight-club line-up, the format and all the big talking points around Oceania’s first pro competition, which is set to launch in 2026. Also on the agenda are Tuvalu’s upcoming return to OFC competition in the Men’s Futsal Cup, a giveaway of a rare national team shirt and a round-up of all the action coming up on FIFA+.

Sign up to FIFA+ for free:

• 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
• Send us an email to [email protected] with some information about yourself and your preferences if you want us to handpick you a new FIFA+ football team to support.

Support The Sweeper:

• Join The Sweeper on Patreon
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Follow John Mac Travels

• Watch John Mac Travels on YouTube
• Follow John Mac Travels on Instagram
• Follow John Mac Travels on X

The Sweeper team

• Hosts: Lee Wingate and Paul Watson
• Editor: Ralph Foster

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 with international debutants the Marshall Islands! Which historic feat was achieved by Madison University economics student Josiah Blanton? Which other player at the Outrigger Challenge Cup works for Disney+ in Denmark? Why did airlines refuse to take Haitian club AS Capoise to the CFU Club Shield in Trinidad & Tobago? And who are the tallest and shortest currently active pro footballers?

Please follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/sweeperpod

Join The Sweeper on Patreon: patreon.com/sweeperpod

Support The Sweeper on Buy Me A Coffee: buymeacoffee/sweeperpod

“How Mjällby are gatecrashing Sweden's elite” by BBC Sport: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/crm4wjdr7xpo

“I Became a Football Team’s ONLY Fan” by Away Days: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNwvsRKCpCI

World's oldest professional footballer on playing at 59: 'I won't put limits on myself' by The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/jun/17/worlds-oldest-professional-footballer-playing-at-59-mykola-lykhovydov-ukraine

Editor: Ralph Foster

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.