Episodes
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The 2026 World Cup continues to produce breathtaking matches – arguably none more so than debutants Cape Verde versus world champions Argentina.
With players who once worked as electricians and mortgage advisors, Cape Verde pushed Lionel Messi & Co. to extra time in the round of 32, serving up one of the most memorable knockout ties in World Cup history. And one of the all-time great goals, scored by Sydny Lopes Cabral, who was playing in the German fifth tier not long ago and was so poor that he was hanging up binbags as makeshift curtains.
But how does the game compare to other World Cup classics in the modern era? And what will Cape Verde’s fairytale run do for tourism in the country?
Another outsider surpassing expectations is Paraguay, who eliminated four-time world champions Germany. Goalkeeper Orlando Gill, who was facing his idol Manuel Neuer, boasts one of the best rags to riches stories at the tournament.
Plus: Viral Kiwi Tim Payne completes a transfer to Olimpia in South America and an England fan sparks an international manhunt.
Sign up to The Sweeper’s Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/SweeperPod
Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
00:53 – Cape Verde v. Argentina
05:50 – From zeroes to heroes
19:00 – A World Cup tourism boost
23:06 – Paraguay’s dark arts
25:17 – Orlando Gill’s amazing story
26:55 – Tim Payne’s Olimpia move
29:48 – An England fan manhunt
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The 2026 World Cup group-stage is over – and we’re already under way with the knockout phase of the tournament!
Among the teams in the last 32 are seven knockout debutants: Bosnia & Herzegovina, Canada, DR Congo, Egypt, Ivory Coast, South Africa and Cape Verde, who have been the story of the tournament and face Lionel Messi’s Argentina next. But which other countries reached the knockouts on their first-ever World Cup appearance? And which others made it through the group phase with three draws?
Elsewhere, there are some ties with intriguing political backdrops. Austria face Spain in a battle of the two branches of the Habsburg family, while co-hosts Mexico and Ecuador go head-to-head in the Latin American Embassy Derby. There’s also a sinister history between Germany and Paraguay, an assassination plot involving England and DR Congo, and an air base that will link the USA and Bosnia forever.
Plus: South Korea’s president intervenes following the country’s miserable World Cup performance, Marcelo Bielsa has a full-scale meltdown on camera and Tunisia stake a claim for being the worst team at the World Cup.
Sign up to The Sweeper's Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/SweeperPod
Follow Joey D'Urso on Instagram here:
https://www.instagram.com/joey.durso/
And Joey D'Urso's Substack is here:
https://joeydurso.substack.com/
Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
02:38 – Debutants and draws
05:10 – Knockout newcomers
10:50 – Cape Verde’s Messi meeting
17:51 – Political pairings
28:11 – Regrets and recriminations
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Missing episodes?
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It has been another scintillating week of action at the 2026 World Cup, where the final round of group games is about to get under way.
Algeria are preparing to exact revenge against Austria for the ‘Disgrace of Gijón’ 44 years ago, in what may be the biggest grudge match of the tournament, while the Dutch royal family has been groundhopping to watch the Netherlands and Curaçao on the same day.
Elsewhere, Hervé Renard and his crisp white shirts have failed to salvage Tunisia’s campaign, a marriage proposal went wrong at the Uruguay-Cape Verde match and Senegal have resorted to ordering takeaways to their team hotel in the absence of a proper chef.
Plus: Borja Iglesias struggles to get into the Spain training base, an Iranian player has his celebrity aunt to thank for his call-up, German fan Freddy sparks a bidding war from North American airlines and Montevideo tops the all-time World Cup birthplace table.
Chapters
00:00 – Intro
01:10 – Shocking scandals
11:18 – Famous fans
16:58 – Crazy call-ups
21:55 – Miscellaneous mayhem
26:09 – Bountiful birthplaces
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The 2026 World Cup is already producing crazy quirks and hilarious headlines – with the co-host trio of Canada, Mexico and the USA leading the way.
The USMNT have a star striker who gained citizenship by pure coincidence, while the American and Canadian tournament mascots have inspired a Peruvian drug bust and a Mexican duck wearing a national team shirt has gone viral across the world.
Meanwhile, Algeria have begun a love affair with the people of host state Kansas, who have completely thrown their support behind the team, while Scotland are BBQing with AirBnB hosts in Boston and South Korean fans are forging a tequila-based bond in Mexico City.
Plus: Cape Verde stun the football world against Spain, Brazil and Mexico contest the ‘Non-European European Border Derby’, Australia’s refugee strikeforce make a flying start and Algeria top the ‘World Cup Sleep Tax’ table.
Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
00:50 – Cape Verde’s heroics
04:45 – Curious citizenships
10:20 – Glorious geography
14:10 – Strange statistics
20:26 – Beautiful bonds
25:40 – Amazing animals
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Uzbekistan are on the cusp of making their long-awaited World Cup bow.
With former Ballon d’Or winner Fabio Cannavaro at the helm, the former Soviet republic is about to become the first Central Asian country and the first double-landlocked nation to take part in the greatest show on earth.
But what else do you need to know about the White Wolves before they have even kicked a ball in North America?
In the final episode of our four-part series on the 2026 World Cup debutants, it is all about Uzbekistan, who have shed their decades-long nearly-men tag and arguably boast the best chances of any of the newcomers to the competition.
Plus, DR Congo’s preparations are disrupted by the Ebola outbreak and Bosnia bring the largest coffee pot on the planet to North America.
Join our Curaçao v Germany watch-along on Sunday 14 June at 6pm UK time here.
Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
01:45 – The coach: Cannavaro’s playing pedigree
04:00 – The players: Khusanov the star man
08:45 – Qualifying: Nearly men no more
11:09 – Group: Portugal, Colombia & DR Congo
13:16 – DR Congo: Ebola outbreak at home
16:44 – Bosnia: The world’s largest coffee pot
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Jordan are at the World Cup finals for the first time ever!
Led by coach Jamal Sellami in the dugout and captain Musa Al-Taamari on the pitch – who do not appear to agree when it comes to tactics – Jordan are set to become the country with the lowest land point to ever play at the finals.
But what else do you need to know about the wonderfully nicknamed Chivalrous Ones ahead of their opening match?
In the third instalment of our four-part series on the 2026 World Cup debutants, we’re turning our attentions to Jordan, who are known for their culinary goal celebrations and seemingly missed the memo for the group-stage draw...
Plus, Panama’s decision to hold an opening training session completely backfires and Norway go full-Viking with their pre-tournament team photo.
Join our Curaçao v Germany watchalong on Sunday 14 June at 6pm UK time here.
Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
01:45 – The coach: Naturalised citizen Sellami
04:30 – The players: Mutinous captain Al-Taamari
10:40 – Qualifying: Sweet revenge on Iraq
13:05 – Group: Algeria, Argentina & Austria
16:12 – Panama: An opening training session to forget
19:08 – Norway: The epic pre-tournament Viking pic
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Debutants Curacao are about to break an all-time World Cup record.
Spearheaded by veteran coach Dick Advocaat – soon to be the oldest coach in the tournament’s history – the Caribbean island are the smallest-ever nation to make an appearance at the finals with a population of only 160,000.
So what should you know about the brilliantly nicknamed Blue Wave before they make their bow on the global stage this month?
In the second episode of our four-part series on the 2026 World Cup debutants, we’re focusing on Curacao –a non-independent country that is part of the Netherlands and has as many Europe-born players as first opponents Germany.
Plus, Graham Potter calls up a member of the Swedish nobility in defence and Iran’s final friendly opponents Gambia lose their football boots.
Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
02:48 – The coach: Dick Advocaat’s age record
05:40 – The players: Only Chong born in Curacao
09:15 – Qualifying: VAR scare versus Jamaica
12:05 – Group: Germany, Ivory Coast & Ecuador
15:50 – Gustaf Lagerbielke: Sweden’s defensive baron
17:42 – Gambia: DJ visits and lost football boots
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Cape Verde are days away from making their World Cup debut.
With a head coach nicknamed after the island of his birth and only seven full-time staff members, the tiny African archipelago are about to take on former world champions Spain and Uruguay as well as Saudi Arabia in North America.
But what do you need to know about the Blue Sharks ahead of their maiden appearance on the greatest stage in international football?
In the first of our four-part series on the debutants at the 2026 World Cup, we talk through the once Portuguese colony’s unique recruitment strategy – from LinkedIn DMs to Rotterdam recruits – and assess their chances of a Group H upset.
Plus, New Zealand’s Tim Payne becomes an overnight viral sensation and Haiti’s Josué Duverger prepares to swap fifth-tier German side Cosmos Koblenz for World Cup duty.
Get 10% off with Golaço Kits by visiting golacokits.com and using the discount code SWEEPER10 at checkout.
Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
01:57 – The coach: Bubista & seven staff
03:05 – The players: Diaspora & LinkedIn
07:54 – Qualifying: Windy win over Eswatini
11:04 – Group: Spain, Uruguay & Saudi Arabia
13:30 – Our new partner: Golaço Kits
15:25 – Tim Payne: NZ’s overnight sensation
18:28 – Josué Duverger: Haiti’s fifth-tier keeper
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We have come to a tiny landlocked country where nine out of 10 footballers are foreigners.
Welcome to beautiful Andorra – a micro-state home to a football scene brimming with curiosities and quirks.
In this episode, we’re unpacking the madness: Why are there virtually no Andorrans in the local Primera Divisió? How did Gerard Piqué’s FC Andorra move over the border to play in Spain’s La Liga 2? And why on earth do fans of UE Santa Coloma dress up as squirrels?
Plus: UEFA has totally revamped qualification for international competitions with a tiered Swiss-style system – and the continent's smaller nations are up in arms about it.
Buy ‘Around The World In 80 Clubs’: www.amazon.co.uk/Around-World-80-Clubs-Wonderful/dp/1399637886
Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
01:26 – FC Andorra: The history
03:15 – FC Andorra: Piqué & Ceuta
12:50 – The Copa Constitució final
17:03 – No homegrown players
24:10 – The micro-state ranking list
30:08 – UEFA’s qualification revamp
31:25 – A message from the minnows
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How has an exiled football club won league titles in three countries in the space of 12 months?
In this episode, we tell the extraordinary story of Sudan’s Al Hilal Omdurman and their unprecedented African odyssey.
After escaping conflict at home, they first conquered Mauritania’s Super D1 in May 2025, before winning a short championship in their native Sudan last summer and the Rwandan Premier League this month.
But why have they been playing in other countries? Will their tour of the continent continue next season? And which other clubs have become champions of another nation?
Plus, the first indigenous pro club in Brazil get off to a winning start and a 42-second Dutch replay goes comically wrong.
‘Around The World In 80 Clubs’: www.amazon.co.uk/Around-World-80-Clubs-Wonderful/dp/1399637886
Ali Howorth’s Substack newsletter: www.alasdairhoworth.substack.com
Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
02:20 – The move to Mauritania
05:55 – The return home to Sudan
07:34 – The relocation to Rwanda
12:55 – Al Hilal’s next destination
14:45 – Champions in foreign countries
19:06 – Brazil’s first indigenous pro club
22:50 – A 42-second Dutch replay
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Mexico’s Liga MX wants to copy the MLS model!
The 18 club owners have voted to separate the league from the federation, move towards a franchise model, and permanently abolish promotion and relegation in practice.
But hang on, wasn’t relegation already abolished in Mexican football? Don’t lots of top leagues worldwide function as a closed shop? And why are Mexico’s 2026 World Cup preparations under Javier Aguirre causing problems for the domestic league too?
On this episode, we investigate the state of domestic football in Mexico and look ahead to the co-host’s controversial build-up to this summer’s global showpiece.
Plus: Racing de Montevideo celebrate their maiden Uruguayan title on the roadside and San Marino Calcio’s players pen an angry letter.
Jon Arnold's Substack is here and his viral Mexican football video on Instagram is here.
Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
01:25 – Seismic shifts in Mexican football
06:00 – The death of promotion & relegation
10:05 – Closed shop leagues worldwide
15:37 – Mexico’s pre-World Cup chaos
21:38 – Racing’s roadside title celebration
27:22 – San Marino Calcio’s angry letter
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FC Thun midfielder Ethan Meichtry was a road worker three years ago. Now he’s a Swiss Super League winner.
His story perfectly encapsulates the improbable rise of the club, who were promoted only last summer and are already champions of Switzerland for the first time in their history.
So how did Meichtry go from construction worker to title-winner? How did Thun take Swiss football by storm? And where does their triumph rank on the all-time list of great soccer fairytales and underdog stories?
In this episode of The Sweeper Podcast, we pull back the curtain one of the biggest European football stories of 2026: Thun’s unlikely transformation from relegation candidates to first-time national champions.
You can sign up for the waiting list for The Sweeper's live show and the ‘Around The World in 80 Clubs’ book launch via this link: thesweeper.eventbrite.com
Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
01:20 – Celebrations: Pyrotechnics and pubs
04:40 – Management: Gerber and Lustrinelli
09:36 – Players: Roadworkers, recoveries and rejects
12:50 – Style: Verticality and disregard for possession
15:42 – Rivals: Basel & Young Boys underperformance
19:05 – Records: Swiss and European comparisons
23:03 – Patreon plug and live show information
24:35 – Fairytales: Where does Thun sit in the ranking?
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Red Bull are finally coming for Italian football!
The energy drinks giant, which already majority-owns football clubs in Austria, Germany, America, Brazil and Japan, reportedly wants to venture into football in Italy and has now set its sights on FC Südtirol.
So what makes the Serie B club a sensible strategic move for Red Bull? And why should supporters in Bolzano be wary of multi-club ownership?
This weekend, we went to Austria Salzburg – the phoenix club that rose from the ashes of Red Bull’s hostile first foray into the sport – to explore what the future may hold for FC Südtirol.
Plus, Bursaspor win each of Turkiye’s top four divisions and a defeat helps Den Bosch secure a spot in the Eerste Divisie play-offs.
You can book your ticket for The Sweeper's live show and Around The World in 80 Clubs book launch from this link: thesweeper.eventbrite.com
Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
01:15 – Red Bull’s Italian expansion plans
07:30 – The hostile takeover of Austria Salzburg
11:10 – The phoenix club that rose from the ashes
15:40 – FC Südtirol: Yes or no to the energy empire?
21:15 – Bursaspor’s Turkish football completion
26:45 – UEFA Champions League fallen giants
28:12 – Promotion chaos in the Eerste Divisie
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Shakhtar Donetsk are a Ukrainian football club – but Russia are trying to change that by founding Shakhtyor Donetsk!
As part of their efforts to integrate occupied Ukrainian territories, Russia are now creating their own versions of major Ukrainian teams.
So why are UEFA not stopping this? What is the current situation in the Crimean Premier League? And how has the invasion changed football in Ukraine?
On this episode, we’re taking you on a journey to Ukraine to investigate how football is being used as a weapon of aggression.
Plus: Semi-pro Heidelberg United eye up an historic AFC berth and Montserrat search for a new head coach on Facebook.
Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
01:25 – The copycats in Russia’s fourth tier
06:22 – The Crimean Premier League
08:01 – Shakhtar Donetsk’s European run
11:15 – The rapid rise of LNZ Cherkasy
17:31 – Heidelberg United’s AFC aspirations
20:58 – Unlikely continental qualifications
25:30 – Montserrat’s unorthodox manager hunt
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A newly-promoted club are on the verge of the impossible.
If tiny FC Thun can get just a few more points on the board, they will win the Swiss Super League and claim the first major trophy in their 128-year history.
But what do the locals make of it all? Why is Thun the perfect place for such a fairytale? And how did a literal sauna force a high-stakes clash with Basel to be called off?
We headed to the Alps to meet the fans and find out the answers. Join us in Thun for Europe’s most extraordinary club football story of 2026.
Sign up to Patreon at patreon.com/sweeperpod to enter the FC Vaduz giveaway.
Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
01:35 – A quick history of FC Thun
04:45 – The fire at St. Jakob Park
11:20 – Other bizarre postponements
16:46 – Groundhopping with the Thun Army
22:16 – A tour of the Stockhorn Arena
28:10 – The stunning beauty of Thun
33:15 – A quick stop-off at FC Vaduz
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A former poker player has coached Bosnia to the World Cup!
Sergej Barbarez has guided the Balkan country to the tournament in his first head coach role – at the expense of four-time champions Italy.
So how did he go from the casino for the dugout? Why has qualification cost his striker Ermedin Demirovic €300,000? And how are Bosnia at a second World Cup without ever making the EUROs?
In this episode, we explore brilliant Bosnia’s incredible journey and reflect on Iraq and DR Congo’s play-offs successes too.
Plus, the Ceuta coach pledges to walk to Rome and Nauru launch their one child, one ball initiative.
Nutmeg Magazine (You can buy the magazine for a special Sweeper discount rate of £10 by using the code 'sweeper' at checkout): https://www.nutmegmagazine.co.uk/product/issue-39/
Nauru's 1 Child 1 Ball Initiative: https://stingz.co/pages/nauru-soccer-federation-one-child-one-ball-initiative?fbclid=IwY2xjawQ8cvxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEelDO7Gm-3sFxEpJ4A-iTsjaeuk0DmhnSSu4YoASfMxIsy-KbfggLYXbPp-qE_aem_QArFYavpkwgspTpT7riFWA
Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
01:26 – Bosnia’s poker-playing coach
15:20 – Iraq’s 21-match qualifying campaign
19:32 – DR Congo and the legend of Zaire
23:39 – Nutmeg magazine’s World Cup issue
26:24 – Ceuta coach’s pledge to walk to Rome
31:40 – Nauru’s 1 child 1 ball initiative
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Liechtenstein have the strangest national football team in Europe.
They have no domestic league to develop players, sometimes take just one fan to away matches and, for years, had just one professional footballer.
So how do they make it work? Why is it so hard to generate support for the team? And what change to international football might improve their fortunes?
In this episode, we put the micro-state under the microscope and examine how Europe’s richest country is also home to its strangest national football team.
Plus, the German winger with a secret double life and the Italian coach who disguised himself as a priest.
Equator's World Cup 2026 course with David Goldblatt:
https://www.equator.org/courses/world-cup-2026
Stamping Grounds by Charlie Connelly: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stamping-Grounds-Exploring-Liechtenstein-World/dp/0349114889
Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
01:03 – Liechtenstein at the FIFA Series
08:07 – Europe’s strangest national team
18:41 – Sudan’s bizarre 12th-tier call-up
20:21 – Puerto Rico’s tournament triumph
23:08 – Equator’s 2026 World Cup Masterclass
27:22 – The German winger with a double life
30:07 – Italy’s coach disguised as a priest
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Eritrea’s national team haven’t played an official match in seven years.
But this month, the Red Sea Camels are making their long-awaited return to the international stage in AFCON 2027 qualifying.
So what kept Eritrea away? Why are they returning to the fold now? And do they have any chance against Eswatini?
In this episode, we take you on a virtual journey to the Horn of Africa – and shine a light on the only country excluded from the FIFA rankings.
Plus, the Belarusian team in exile in Poland and the Russian war critic making waves in Cyprus.
Sweeper football shirts: https://stingz.co/collections/sweeper-podcast
Deutsche Welle documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMRQQYGNBK8
Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
01:14 – Eritrea’s international absence
04:55 – Dictatorships and defection
09:16 – The long-awaited return to the fold
13:30 – The state of play in the national team
19:02 – Poland’s Belarusian club in exile
22:47 – Sweeper shirts and special bonus pod
24:17 – Russia’s war critic turned club owner
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A World Cup co-host is at war with another participating nation.
Since the United States launched strikes against Iran at the end of last month, the big question in the football world has been whether the latter will still play at the World Cup.
So will Iran play or not? Could they even face the United States? And who would likely replace them if they were to withdraw?
Today, we run through all the conceivable scenarios and analyse the most turbulent build-up to a World Cup in living memory.
Plus: The Barcelona fan who went to the wrong St. James’ Park and Welsh club Llantwit Major’s hilarious cup run.
BUY THE SHIRTS: https://stingz.co/collections/sweeper-podcast
Get £6 off with Patreon: https://patreon.com/sweeperpod
The Guardian on the 1930 World Cup: https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/may/13/world-cup-stunning-moments-25-conte-verde-uruguay
The Los Angeles Times on India:
https://www.latimes.com/archives/blogs/sports-now/story/2011-07-19/did-india-withdraw-from-the-1950-world-cup-because-they-were-not-allowed-to-play-barefoot
Chapters
00:00 – Intro
00:55 – Iran’s World Cup predicament
04:35 – USA fit to host tournament?
08:09 – Scenario 1 – Iran play at World Cup
11:25 – Historical precedents for withdrawals
16:40 – Scenario 2 – Iran withdraw from World Cup
20:55 – Barca fan’s extreme travel mix-up
29:17 – Llantwit Major’s wacky cup run
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Steaua Bucharest, Romania’s most successful club, no longer exists.
Instead, two teams now both lay claim to the original club’s success – including the highly prized 1986 European Cup.
So who is the true successor? Why did UEFA change its mind four decades later? And could they ever play against each other?
In this episode, we take you inside one of European football’s oddest disputes: the battle for Steaua Bucharest’s history.
Plus: The Italian coach who sacked himself after 44 years and the German pirate island club with no opponents.
BUY THE SHIRTS: https://stingz.co/collections/sweeper-podcast
Get £6 off with Patreon: https://patreon.com/sweeperpod
Chapters
00:00 – Intro
00:57 – FCSB’s nightmare season
02:19 – The battle for Steaua’s history
10:09 – Unlikely European Cup winners quiz
14:07 – Gigi Becali: Football’s craziest owner
17:39 – The coach who sacked himself
23:04 – Football’s longest-serving managers
26:10 – The club with no opponents
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