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
Jordan: The World Cup captain who defied his coach
09/06/2026 | 21min
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
Curaçao: The World Cup squad with only ONE local player
05/06/2026 | 20min
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
Cape Verde: The World Cup player recruited by LinkedIn DM
02/06/2026 | 20min
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.
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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
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.
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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
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:
🎧 Red Bull’s Italian expansion plans (28 April 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. Join us Patreon at patreon.com/sweeperpod for bonus podcasts every Thursday. Contact: hello@sweeperpod.com.
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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
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