The Sweeper - A World Football Podcast

Brazil’s rainforest rivalry, Myanmar’s unbeatable powerhouse & Bougainville’s push for independence

The most-played match in world football has been contested nearly 1,000 times – yet most fans have never heard of it.Join us on a journey to a tropical corner of the planet as we uncover a rivalry first played in 1914… and still being contested today.Who are the two teams involved? Why have they faced each other so often – an average of seven times a year for over a century? And what could finally slow this extraordinary fixture down in 2026?Next, we explore the remarkable story of a top-flight club who have not lost a league game since before the pandemic. How have they stayed unbeaten for so long – and why, despite that run, are they still not the most dominant team in world football?Finally, we turn to the international game and the national team hoping to represent what could become the world’s newest country in 2027. But if independence comes, will they be welcomed into the global football family – or left waiting on the sidelines? Chapters00:00 – Intro01:14 – The world’s most-played fixture11:21 – Other contenders for the title14:45 – The longest unbeaten run in history22:00 – Around The World in 80 Clubs25:30 – The world’s newest national team? Bougainville – A New Country: https://www.arte.tv/en/videos/126735-000-A/arte-reportage/Around The World in 80 Clubs: https://geni.us/WorldIn80Clubs

Viktor Orban’s football powerplay, Copa Libertadores expansion & Chinese Super League sanctions

A sleepy town of 22,000 people in southern Slovakia is home to a top-flight football club that is challenging for national titles and boasts an ultra-modern, sleek stadium that is entirely out of step with its surroundings – thanks to money from abroad.We paid a visit to Dunajská Streda to watch local team DAC 1904 play domestic giants Slovan Bratislava in a top-of-the table clash in Slovakia. But this was no ordinary game. It was the most politically charged football match we’ve ever seen.The reason for that lies far beyond the football pitch. Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is funding clubs in neighbouring countries as part of a broader political strategy – one that may help him win re-election in April and shape the balance of power in the EU.Elsewhere, the Copa Libertadores is reportedly preparing to invite guest clubs from Mexico and the US to participate in the competition starting in 2027, while Chinese football has hit a new low after nine of the Super League’s 16 clubs were deducted points.Chapters00:00 - Intro01:49 - Live game: DAC 1904 v Slovan Bratislava14:32 - Viktor Orbán's political power play21:18 - Copa Libertadores guest invitations23:04 - Analysis from Jon Arnold25:59 - China's Super League low point27:21 - Analysis from John DuerdenSources for the lead storyAtlatszo: https://english.atlatszo.hu/2018/12/11/the-orban-government-spent-billions-on-hungarian-football-clubs-in-serbia-romania-and-slovakiaBalkan Insight: https://balkaninsight.com/2025/07/08/hungary-and-croatia-build-stadium-for-e7-5-million-in-village-of-500-inhabitantsDenník: https://dennikn.sk/1380564/bolo-to-ako-vojna-bitka-policajtov-s-fanusikmi-dunajskej-stredy-po-ktorej-sa-zmenil-zakon/Radio Free Europe: https://www.rferl.org/a/hungary-orban-sport-influence-romania/31977287.htmlSalzburger Nachrichten:https://www.sn.at/sport/fussball/international/dac-dunajska-streda-orbans-aushaengeschild-in-der-slowakei-art-371392

Qarabag’s Champions League heroics, Benfica’s goalkeeper goal & Kazakhstan’s Borat arrests

Qarabağ have made Champions League history this season, becoming the first Azerbaijani club to ever reach the knockout stages of the competition – and setting up a play-off tie against Premier League team Newcastle United.Their run has come at a time of dramatic geopolitical change in the South Caucasus, with the club preparing to return to their hometown of Ağdam after spending more than three decades in exile in the capital Baku.Elsewhere, Bodø/Glimt stunned the continent by qualifying for the knockouts despite not playing domestic football since November, while Benfica hit the headlines with a goalkeeper goal and a viral TV interview from a local priest.Club Brugge also progressed through the league phase, but that will not be the enduring memory of their season for three fans who accompanied the team to Kazakhstan and ended up in jail in one of the strangest away-day stories of the season. Ghost Cities FC by James Montague for the BBC: www.bbc.com/audio/play/p0lxg7xyChapters00:00 – Intro00:41 – Qarabağ's historic Champions League run02:01 – A story of exile and homecoming07:22 – Soft power and state support10:50 – The secret to their sporting success14:37 – The challenges ahead: Newcastle and Sabah17:02 – Patreon preview: Chapecoense and South America18:33 – Another milestone for Bodø/Glimt21:45 – Benfica's keeper goal and priest interview26:07 – Brugge's congratulations and Borat arrests

The Finnish Cup: Round 0, incredible club names & an unusual trophy twin

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. Chapters00:00 – Intro00:32 – Santa Claus' other big moment03:38 – The uniqueness of the Finnish Cup05:42 – A typical run in the competition07:40 – Favourite Finnish club names09:38 – Interview with Tomi Leivo-Jokimäki23:20 – Patreon episode sneak peak24:29 – Cup craziness across Europe

Luxembourg’s stadium-building president, double Dutch cup trophies & Olympic Charleroi’s total chaos

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.  Chapters00:00 – Intro00:45 – Atert Bissen’s remarkable rise06:35 – Rapid risers across the globe08:40 – De Treffers & the Blue Pine Cone14:40 – Amateur rewards worldwide18:00 – Chaos at Olympic Charleroi22:20 – Special Sweeper announcement