The Sweeper

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 – Intro00:47 – Canada's World Cup prospects02:38 – The Vancouver Whitecaps story07:24 – Relocation fears11:35 – Vancouver FC's Champions Cup qualification15:33 – The newcomers: FC Supra du Québec17:50 – The departure: Valour FC19:43 – The rebrand: Inter Toronto24:33 – Four points per win in the Caribbean28:15 – Bizarre football rules quiz36:30 – Norway's season of surprises48:14 – Debutant World Cup groups50:38 – On The Spot

In Part 1, Lee and Paul are joined by North and Central American football expert Jon Arnold to talk about the craziness in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying. Why did Curacao fly from Bermuda to Jamaica via London in the November window? Why has Haiti's French coach Sebastien Migne never set foot on the island? How did an uncelebrated last-gasp own goal save Suriname's World Cup hopes? And was it a cowardly move for Steve McClaren to resign as Jamaica coach with the play-offs coming up in March? In Part 2, the focus switches to three stories across three different continents that have caught our eye at Sweeper HQ: promoted Thun's Swiss title charge, Al Hilal and Al Merrikh's move to Rwanda, and a controversial new championship title in Argentina. What has coach Mauro Lustrinelli done to help Thun take the Super League by storm this season? What exclusive club have the Sudanese duo of Al Hilal and Al Merrikh joined by moving to Rwanda? And will Argentina really have eight title-winners every year?!  More from Jon Arnold:YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@jonarnoldfcSubstack newsletter: https://getconcacafed.substack.com  Chapters:00:00 – Intro00:51 – Curacao's World Cup miracle13:17 – Haiti's triumph in face of adversity23:47 – The own goal that saved Suriname26:57 – The inter-confederation play-offs28:35 – Steve McClaren's Jamaica exit35:40 – Thun's extraordinary Swiss title tilt39:48 – 2025: The year of the promoted club41:48 – Sudanese duo's Rwanda move45:19 – Trivia: Three-country football clubs46:49 – Argentina's new championship title51:07 – On The Spot

In Part 1, Lee and Paul are joined by Nathan Joyes, a South American football expert and the host of the Copa Club Podcast to talk about some sensational stories from the CONMEBOL nations this season. Why do Chile’s new champions Coquimbo Unido have a pirate theme? Which strategic decision helped Mirassol rise from the sixth tier to the brink of the Copa Libertadores? Is there something in the water in Argentina, where underdogs are sweeping up the trophies? And which other South American country deserves a special mention? In Part 2, the focus moves to elsewhere in the southern hemisphere: Oceania. Lee attended the soft launch event for the OFC Pro League, the continent’s first-ever professional competition, and has some interesting nuggets to share. Where and when will the OFC Pro League get under way? How will the tournament benefit the Tahiti and Fiji national teams. Is Christchurch United’s rebrand as South Island United a good or bad decision? And would South Melbourne theoretically be able to represent Oceania at the Club World Cup? More from Copa ClubPodcast: https://linktr.ee/thecopaclubSubstack: https://thecopaclub.substack.com Chapters00:00 – Intro01:48 – Chile’s pirate champions08:53 – Brazil’s meteoric risers18:47 – Argentina’s year of the underdog21:03 – Bolivian identity fraud25:09 – Sweepers On Tour26:11 – OFC Pro League recap28:02 – OFCPL: Launches & logistics33:27 – OFCPL: Coaches & CEOs37:15 – OFCPL: Rebrands & reserves40:29 – OFCPL: Non-OFC neighbours45:16 – On The Spot

In Part 1, Lee sits down with Virslīga President Maksims Krivunecs in Riga for an inside look at the Latvian football landscape. What is Latvia’s unique claim to fame within the 55 UEFA countries? Why have five of the country’s nine different champions since independence gone out of business? What does the average Virslīga footballer earn per month? And why is he in favour of setting up a Baltic League along with Lithuania and Estonia?In Part 2, Lee returns to the virtual studio to dissect Maksim’s grand plan for a Baltic League and tell Paul all about the live experience at the Latvian Cup final. What format for the Baltic League take and how would the three stages of the competition work? What is the likelihood of it ever happening? Why was the Skonto Stadium in Riga only 14% full for the big match? And what exactly is the strange relationship between Riga FC and Auda FK?*There is NO official proof on paper of an official relationship between Riga FC and Auda FK. Our source regarding their curious connection is Baltic Football News: balticfootballnews.comChapters00:00 – Intro01:10 – The good and bad of Latvian football04:23 – The vanishing champion problem12:11 – Memorable European nights20:05 – The Baltic League grand plan28:08 – Format, strengths & weaknesses37:37 – The 2025 Latvian Cup final47:20 – On The Spot

In Part 1, Lee and Paul reflect on ultimate underdogs Mjällby becoming Swedish champions and the key figures behind their unlikely Allsvenskan triumph. How have sporting director Hasse Larsson and coach Anders Torstensson shown courage in the face of adversity? Why are Mjällby the best-ever team in Swedish history? And why is the village of Hällevik looking for a new postman? And from one first-time champion to another, Titas Teiten of Baltic Football News has the lowdown on new Lithuanian title-winners Kauno Žalgiris. Part 2 continues in Lithuania, where Lee has paid a visit to second-tier champions TransINVEST and their stunning newstadium to ask some key questions. How does a new club based in a village outside Vilnius and owned by a logistics company build a fanbase from scratch? What has the reaction been in the rest of Lithuania? And why is football firmlyin the shadow of basketball in this beautiful Baltic country? To finish off, there are tales of helicopters, heartbreak and heroism in Ireland, Iceland and Kazakhstan respectively. More from Baltic Football NewsRead the Baltic Football News WebsiteListen to the Baltic Football Podcast Chapters00:00 – Intro00:45 – The Mjällby miracle09:37 – Kauno Žalgiris with Baltic Football News 14:08 – A trip to TransINVEST 29:45 – Ireland’s marathon helicopter31:51 – Relegation for cup winners Vestri32:50 – Final-day drama in Kazakhstan34:23 – On The Spot