
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 footba... more
| Publishes | Twice weekly | Episodes | 133 | Founded | 6 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | SoccerNewsSportsSports News | |||

Relations on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, which is shared by Haiti in the west and the Dominican Republic in the east, are already fraught enough.
But tensions were ramped up even further last week by the events that unfolded at the first foo... more
With a combined 2.9 billion inhabitants, India and China are the world’s largest countries. Yet both of them underachieve spectacularly when it comes to international football.
The two Asian nations have made just one World Cup appearance between th... more
Ireland last year joined Türkiye and Norway in calling for the suspension of Israel’s UEFA membership for what the United Nations has termed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
The Nations League draw in February 2026 then pitted the two countrie... more
Die-hard club football fans love to grumble about the international window, especially now that it has been extended as part of FIFA’s new-look calendar.
But it is a myth that top-flight club football completely ceases during international windows. ... more
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Excellent, well researched, fun and a different niche than the norm. A pod for proper football fans who love the travel, the game and don’t take the game quite so seriously. 5 star!
Slowly working my way through the old episodes of the podcast and really enjoying it. Good to hear some different stories rather than just the boring stuff from the bigger leagues.
Would like it if the Europe United episodes would make a comeback, they were very good!
Keep up the good work guys
Updated 5/5/26
The biggest football fairytale is St. Johnstone’s cup double. Nothing comes close
Have listened to this podcast for over a year - every episdoe is expertly put together - thank you all (producers as well as presenters & contributors) for the effort and time.
This podcast is incredible. I wish something like this existed for every sport. The Sweeper is my favorite escape from whatever’s going on in the world, and it’s the best podcast out there.
Genuinely one of best podcasts out there. can’t recommend joining the patreon highly enough: a serious journey of discovery for a fiver. I’ve learned so much about so many people and places related but going way beyond soccer/football. Very excited about the next year for this podcast; it’s one of the few places where you can learn about the beauties and strangenesses of the world without being inundated with its horrors (not that Lee and Paul shy away from discussing those as necessary, of cou... more
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
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Apple Podcasts | #129 |
Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.
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Two hosts explore football as a global phenomenon, pairing on-field stories with geography, travel and geopolitics. Episodes spotlight obscure leagues, cross-border teams, and under-the-radar narratives from 211 FIFA members, often weaving in history and culture with a sharp, entertaining lens. Noteworthy are deep dives into governance, ownership, and the economics shaping the world game, along with a light, humorous rapport that makes dense topics accessible. The format tends to mix investigative context with colorful anecdotes, making it appealing to listeners who want global football beyond the top leagues and enjoy learning through travel and storytelling.
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These podcasts share a similar audience with The Sweeper:
1. Football Cliches
2. On The Continent - A European Football Podcast
3. Football Weekly
4. It Was What It Was : The Football History Podcast
5. Not The Top 20 Podcast
The Sweeper launched 6 years ago and published 133 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
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Recent guests on The Sweeper include:
1. John Duerden
2. Ali Howarth
3. Jon Arnold
4. Nathan Joyes
5. Maksims Krivunecs
6. Titas Teiten
7. Ali Howorth
8. Matej Mutiš
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