Mexico’s Liga MX wants to copy the MLS model!

The 18 club owners have voted to separate the league from the federation, move towards a franchise model, and permanently abolish promotion and relegation in practice.

But hang on, wasn’t relegation already abolished in Mexican football? Don’t lots of top leagues worldwide function as a closed shop? And why are Mexico’s 2026 World Cup preparations under Javier Aguirre causing problems for the domestic league too?

On this episode, we investigate the state of domestic football in Mexico and look ahead to the co-host’s controversial build-up to this summer’s global showpiece.

Plus: Racing de Montevideo celebrate their maiden Uruguayan title on the roadside and San Marino Calcio’s players pen an angry letter.

Jon Arnold's Substack is here and his viral Mexican football video on Instagram is here.

Chapters:

00:00 – Intro

01:25 – Seismic shifts in Mexican football

06:00 – The death of promotion & relegation

10:05 – Closed shop leagues worldwide

15:37 – Mexico’s pre-World Cup chaos

21:38 – Racing’s roadside title celebration

27:22 – San Marino Calcio’s angry letter

FC Thun midfielder Ethan Meichtry was a road worker three years ago. Now he’s a Swiss Super League winner.

His story perfectly encapsulates the improbable rise of the club, who were promoted only last summer and are already champions of Switzerland for the first time in their history.

So how did Meichtry go from construction worker to title-winner? How did Thun take Swiss football by storm? And where does their triumph rank on the all-time list of great soccer fairytales and underdog stories?

In this episode of The Sweeper Podcast, we pull back the curtain one of the biggest European football stories of 2026: Thun’s unlikely transformation from relegation candidates to first-time national champions.

You can sign up for the waiting list for The Sweeper's live show and the ‘Around The World in 80 Clubs’ book launch via this link: ⁠thesweeper.eventbrite.com⁠

Chapters:

00:00 – Intro

01:20 – Celebrations: Pyrotechnics and pubs

04:40 – Management: Gerber and Lustrinelli

09:36 – Players: Roadworkers, recoveries and rejects

12:50 – Style: Verticality and disregard for possession

15:42 – Rivals: Basel & Young Boys underperformance

19:05 – Records: Swiss and European comparisons

23:03 – Patreon plug and live show information

24:35 – Fairytales: Where does Thun sit in the ranking?

Red Bull are finally coming for Italian football!

The energy drinks giant, which already majority-owns football clubs in Austria, Germany, America, Brazil and Japan, reportedly wants to venture into football in Italy and has now set its sights on FC Südtirol.

So what makes the Serie B club a sensible strategic move for Red Bull? And why should supporters in Bolzano be wary of multi-club ownership?

This weekend, we went to Austria Salzburg – the phoenix club that rose from the ashes of Red Bull’s hostile first foray into the sport – to explore what the future may hold for FC Südtirol.

Plus, Bursaspor win each of Turkiye’s top four divisions and a defeat helps Den Bosch secure a spot in the Eerste Divisie play-offs.

You can book your ticket for The Sweeper's live show and Around The World in 80 Clubs book launch from this link: thesweeper.eventbrite.com

Chapters:

00:00 – Intro

01:15 – Red Bull’s Italian expansion plans

07:30 – The hostile takeover of Austria Salzburg

11:10 – The phoenix club that rose from the ashes

15:40 – FC Südtirol: Yes or no to the energy empire?

21:15 – Bursaspor’s Turkish football completion

26:45 – UEFA Champions League fallen giants

28:12 – Promotion chaos in the Eerste Divisie