Connections: Soccer Edition hints & answers: Monday, September 7, 2026

Updated: Monday, September 7, 2026 · Hints reviewed by Omer Liban · New puzzle daily — free from The Athletic. · Puzzle editor: Will Jeanes.

This page has every level of help for the Connections: Soccer Edition puzzle of Monday, September 7, 2026: 3 spoiler-free hint tiers that narrow things down step by step, followed by the complete answers with explanations — each behind its own tap-to-reveal card.

Stuck on today's Soccer Edition? Work the tiers below exactly like regular Connections — one answer per group, then the themes, then the full explained solution — revealing only what you choose. (Yes, it's the football one — 'soccer' is just the branding.)

Connections: Soccer Edition is The Athletic's football version of Connections — four colour-coded groups from easiest 🟡 yellow to trickiest 🟣 purple, all about the beautiful game: players, clubs, competitions, moments. Free to play.

Soccer Connections hints (September 7, 2026)

1One answer from each group

Yellow (easiest): one of its answers is “PREMIER LEAGUE”.
Green (easy): one of its answers is “THREE”.
Blue (tricky): one of its answers is “BOLTON”.
Purple (trickiest, usually wordplay): one of its answers is “DROGBA”.

2Category hints (no answers)

Yellow (easiest): the theme is “Top european leagues”.
Green (easy): the theme is “Chelsea shirt sponsors”.
Blue (tricky): the theme is “_____ wanderers”.
Purple (trickiest, usually wordplay): the theme is “Scored an mls hat-trick”.

3One full group revealed

Yellow (easiest) — the connection is “Top european leagues”, and its four answers are: PREMIER LEAGUE, SERIE A, BUNDESLIGA, LIGUE 1.

Soccer Connections answers — September 7, 2026

★Today's full Soccer Connections answers, explained

Yellow (easiest) — the connection is “Top european leagues”. The answers: PREMIER LEAGUE, SERIE A, BUNDESLIGA, LIGUE 1.
Green (easy) — the connection is “Chelsea shirt sponsors”. The answers: THREE, SAMSUNG, YOKOHAMA TYRES, AUTOGLASS.
Blue (tricky) — the connection is “_____ wanderers”. The answers: BOLTON, WOLVERHAMPTON, SLIEMA, WYCOMBE.
Purple (trickiest, usually wordplay) — the connection is “Scored an mls hat-trick”. The answers: DROGBA, IBRAHIMOVIĆ, WOLF, PAINTSIL.

The puzzle, explained

The purple group is all players who scored hat-tricks in MLS—Drogba, Ibrahimović, Wolf, and Paintsil each put three goals past opponents in Major League Soccer. The tricky part is that these aren't household names most people think of when they picture MLS stars, so it required knowing pretty specific soccer history rather than relying on patterns. Drogba and Ibrahimović especially were baits because they're legendary players people associate with Europe, making the "_____ Wanderers" group tempting—but none of them actually played for a Wanderers club. Paintsil and Wolf were probably the hardest to place since they're less famous overall, so if you locked in the other three for Wanderers first, you'd find out quick that the connection didn't hold.

Next in today's routine: Today's Puzzle Answers → · every game's answers on one page. New puzzle daily — free from The Athletic. Bookmark this page for tomorrow's hints. Or play Soccer Connections on the official site.

More of today's puzzles

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Soccer Connections — common questions

What is Connections: Soccer Edition?

The Athletic's football version of Connections, launched in June 2026: sixteen answers, four hidden groups, all of it football — players, clubs, competitions, kits, iconic moments. Free to play, and separate from the sports edition.

Is Soccer Connections about football?

Yes — 'soccer' is the branding of The Athletic's US newsroom, but the puzzles are thoroughly football: Champions League history, World Cup winners, grounds and managers all feature.

What do the colours mean in Soccer Connections?

Same as every Connections: yellow is the easiest group, then green, then blue, and purple the trickiest — typically wordplay or a link designed to catch fans out.

Previous Soccer Connections puzzles

Full Soccer Connections archive (109 puzzles) → · How to play Connections: Soccer Edition →