The Sweeper - World Football Stories

Christmas has come and gone, but for Santa Claus – the football club that is, not the man with the beard – the other big moment of the year is fast approaching.

This amateur team of tourism and post office workers are about to enter the Finnish Cup – their one big moment each year to show they are more than just a novelty name.

But beyond Lapland, what else is so unique about the competition? We speak to Tomi Leivo-Jokimäki, the chief organiser at the Finnish Football Association, about its soaring popularity, English influence and the trophy's wacky back story.

Finally, we take a look at other unique cup competitions across the European continent – from France’s all-inclusive cup to Bosnia’s strange final.

Chapters
00:00 – Intro
00:32 – Santa Claus' other big moment
03:38 – The uniqueness of the Finnish Cup
05:42 – A typical run in the competition
07:40 – Favourite Finnish club names
09:38 – Interview with Tomi Leivo-Jokimäki
23:20 – Patreon episode sneak peak
24:29 – Cup craziness across Europe

In just three seasons, a small-town club from central Luxembourg have gone from third-tier obscurity to challenging for the top-flight title.
 
At the heart of their rise is president Carlos Teixeira, a construction entrepreneur who literally built the club’s stadium himself before reluctantly taking over the reins.
 
On this episode, we tell Atert Bissen's story – before heading to the Netherlands, where an amateur club in the KNVB Beker are guaranteed to lift a trophy whether they win the competition or not.
 
To complete the Benelux trio we finish off in Belgium, where an angry father, a potential Iraqi investor and a revolving door of coaches have allegedly turned Olympic Charleroi into a hot mess.
 
Chapters
00:00 – Intro
00:45 – Atert Bissen’s remarkable rise
06:35 – Rapid risers across the globe
08:40 – De Treffers & the Blue Pine Cone
14:40 – Amateur rewards worldwide
18:00 – Chaos at Olympic Charleroi
22:20 – Special Sweeper announcement

In Part 1, Lee & Paul preview the inaugural OFC Pro League – the first fully professional football competition in Oceania’s history – which kicks off in New Zealand on Saturday 17 January. What matches will take place in the first circuit series in Auckland – and where can you watch them? Which team will have to travel the furthest and cross the International Date Line for their fixtures? Who are the standout players to watch out for? And what does the new tournament mean for the future of the OFC Champions League?In Part 2, there are stories from Europe, Africa and Asia. In Germany, a former Bundesliga coach is managing two McDonald’s restaurants – but what other unusual careers have footballers had after hanging up their boots? At AFCON, Mali have turned to a fetish priest to tip fate in their favour for their game against Tunisia. What on earth is one of those, we hear you ask?! And finally, Japan prepares for its transition to an autumn-spring league. But which J-League club have been royally screwed over by the switch?
Chapters
00:00 – Intro
04:11 – OFC Pro League: Format & fixtures
08:58 – OFC Pro League: Distances & date lines
13:24 – OFC Pro League: Intriguing individuals
23:23 – OFC Pro League: Concurrent competitions
27:54 – The German ex-coach working at McDonald's
31:32 – Strangest former footballer careers
38:53 – Mali's fetish priest & Gabon's letter
46:03 – Japan's schedule switch & Fukushima United

In Part 1, Lee and Paul are joined by Asia correspondent John Duerden to cast a look at some huge stories across the continent – in India, Malaysia and South Korea. What on earth happened on Lionel Messi’s GOAT Tour of Kolkata? And why is the world’s largest country still without a top-flight league months after the season should have gotten under way? What has the fallout been from Malaysia’s attempt to illegally naturalise seven players? And why did Gus Poyet resign in protest after winning the double with Jeonbuk in South Korea?
In Part 2, Africa correspondent Ali Howorth drops in before flying to Morocco to give us the lowdown on AFCON 2025 and help us decide which team to support at the tournament. Then it’s over to Europe to put the Ekstraklasa under the microscope. But what unique situation that we have never seen before has occurred in Poland’s top flight? And finally, to mark the festive season, there is a mention for Christmas Island – an Australian overseas territory that is known for its red crabs and its football rivalry with the nearby Cocos Islands.
World Soccer magazine special offer: shop.kelsey.co.uk/sweeperxmas25
John Duerden’s Substack newsletter: https://howfootballexplainsasia.substack.com
Ali Howarth’s AFCON flow chart: https://x.com/ahoworth97/status/2001293214012014953
Chapters
00:00 – Intro
00:35 – India’s Super League crisis
08:56 – Other leagues in limbo worldwide
11:29 – Malaysia’s naturalisation scandal
21:47 – Gus Poyet’s Jeonbuk departure
27:17 – AFCON 2025 in Morocco
39:55 – The crazy Polish Ekstraklasa
44:25 – Mayhem & chaos across UEFA
48:00 – Christmas Island and red crabs
53:45 – On The Spot - The Apertura crown

In Part 1, Lee and Paul take a deep dive into Canadian football, including the national team's World Cup draw, Vancouver Whitecaps' incredible campaign and the changes to the line-up in the Canadian Premier League. Do Canada have a chance against Qatar, Switzerland – and probably Italy? Will the Vancouver Whitecaps be able to stay in Vancouver? How on earth did the Canadian Premier League's bottom club qualify for the top continental competition? And who are FC Supra du Quebec, the new club joining the division in 2026?

In Part 2, it's the usual array of stories from across the world. Several French overseas territories award four points for a win – but what other location-specific football rules exist around the world? Lee tests Paul in a quiz! Over in Norway, a season of surprises continues as Viking claim the Eliteserien and second-tier Lillestrøm win the Norwegian Cup. We hear from Viking's No.1 overseas fan Babsi! And finally, the 2026 World Cup group stage draw is now done and dusted. Which debutant has the best chance of going through?

Copa 90 documentary on Vancouver Whitecaps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6Hnk37Lwo8

Weird and wacky football rules: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_tournament_ranking_system#Association_football

Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
00:47 – Canada's World Cup prospects
02:38 – The Vancouver Whitecaps story
07:24 – Relocation fears
11:35 – Vancouver FC's Champions Cup qualification
15:33 – The newcomers: FC Supra du Québec
17:50 – The departure: Valour FC
19:43 – The rebrand: Inter Toronto
24:33 – Four points per win in the Caribbean
28:15 – Bizarre football rules quiz
36:30 – Norway's season of surprises
48:14 – Debutant World Cup groups
50:38 – On The Spot