The birth of Rayo Vaticano, Tromsø’s 'Midnight Match' & China’s AI-robot tournament

In Part 1, Lee and Paul bring you the best stories from the European continent. How could YOU get involved with the first proper club in the world's smallest country? Why do Tromsø, the world's northernmost professional team, play one Eliteserien match per season at midnight? Which Guinness World Record do the Bosnia & Herzegovina Women's Premier League champions SFK 2000 hold? And how did the Cold War delay a European tie between Northern Ireland's Glenavon and Germany's Aue by 65 years? In Part 2, the stories are from the rest of the world. In China, a tournament between AI robot footballers takes place. But will they ever be good enough to face humans? Meanwhile, Palau remains the only country in the world without an active Football Association – which goes some way to explaining why Paul was allowed to play (and score) in their domestic league. And in Mauritius, LaCure Waves have won the cup without a recognised goalkeeper for the quarter-final or semi-final. But why are they still seething with the powers-that-be? Rayo Vaticano Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soyrayovaticano Rayo Vaticano e-mail: soyrayovaticano@gmail.com Guardian profile of SFK 2000: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/may/29/sfk-2000-sarajevo-bosnia-and-herzegovina-womens-football-moving-the-goalposts The Blizzard Issue 57: https://forwardpress.imbmsubscriptions.com/sweeper10Join The Sweeper on Patreon: patreon.com/SweeperPodSupport The Sweeper on Buy Me A Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/sweeperpodEditor: Ralph Foster Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Om Podcasten

Welcome to The Sweeper, the world football podcast made in association with FIFA+. Join Lee Wingate and Paul Watson every second Wednesday as they bring you the best headlines from across the football world and tell you the stories that you won't hear elsewhere. Whether it’s a Greenlandic club withdrawing from the championship to go reindeer hunting, scuffles on the sidelines in the Vatican City’s league, a team in Turkmenistan who win every game, or turtles stopping play on Ascension Island, The Sweeper has you covered! Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/SweeperPod Audio editing: Ralph Foster & Tom Middler Graphic design: The Gentlemen Creatives Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.