The Sweeper - A World Football Podcast

About The Sweeper - A World Football Podcast

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: 🎧 A Europa League team from North America? It IS possible (11 August 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 and Thursday. Join us Patreon at patreon.com/sweeperpod for bumper bonus podcasts every Monday. Contact: hello@sweeperpod.com. ——————————————————— 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

Publisher

Sweeper Productions Ltd

Category

news · sports

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

4 May 2021

Latest episode

6 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

37 of 141 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   6 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT

   India & China: Why the world’s two largest countries are football's biggest underachievers

   Host [Host Name] explores why India and China, with their massive populations, significantly underachieve in international football, offering insights into their struggles and future potential.

2. 

   1 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Why UEFA rejected Ireland’s request to avoid Israel in draws – and could that change?

   Host [Host Name] interviews [Guest Name] about UEFA's rejection of Ireland's request to avoid playing Israel in draws and the implications for international football.

3. 

   29 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   What are the world’s biggest leagues that don't stop for the international break?

   Host [Host Name] explores the world's biggest football leagues that continue play during international breaks, revealing surprising exceptions and insights.

Inside a recent episode

India & China: Why the world’s two largest countries are football's biggest underachievers

Published 6 Oct 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] It was created for emerging Asian countries like the lower ranked nations. On the other side, China's men have actually never won a continental competition of any kind. And China currently occupying 94th place in the men's FIFA world rankings. I believe that's their lowest position for over a decade, while India are languishing down in 138th spot. And it all begs the question, Paul, why do they struggle so much to succeed internationally? And to answer that, we're going to first outline what we think a healthy football pyramid should look like. Yeah, so you have your base, which is grassroots football, and that is just youngsters who are interested in the sport getting the opportunity to play. […]

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

22,373

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.9 / 5

78 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

818 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 53 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

49

Social presence

0

YouTube

76

Engagement

67

Contact The Sweeper - A World Football Podcast

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Shows with a similar audience

• 

  New: Football Clichés

• 

  On The Continent - A European Football Podcast

• 

  It Was What It Was

• 

  Football Weekly

• 

  Libero

• 

  Not The Top 20 Podcast

Questions about The Sweeper - A World Football Podcast