Connections: Soccer Edition hints & answers: Wednesday, September 9, 2026

Updated: Wednesday, September 9, 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 Wednesday, September 9, 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 9, 2026)

1One answer from each group

Yellow (easiest): one of its answers is “UKRAINE”.
Green (easy): one of its answers is “GYM”.
Blue (tricky): one of its answers is “ATHLETIC CLUB”.
Purple (trickiest, usually wordplay): one of its answers is “DI CANIO”.

2Category hints (no answers)

Yellow (easiest): the theme is “Former soviet republics to play at major international tournaments”.
Green (easy): the theme is “Areas of a training ground”.
Blue (tricky): the theme is “Spanish clubs in the basque country”.
Purple (trickiest, usually wordplay): the theme is “Paolo _____”.

3One full group revealed

Yellow (easiest) — the connection is “Former soviet republics to play at major international tournaments”, and its four answers are: UKRAINE, LATVIA, GEORGIA, UZBEKISTAN.

Soccer Connections answers — September 9, 2026

★Today's full Soccer Connections answers, explained

Yellow (easiest) — the connection is “Former soviet republics to play at major international tournaments”. The answers: UKRAINE, LATVIA, GEORGIA, UZBEKISTAN.
Green (easy) — the connection is “Areas of a training ground”. The answers: GYM, PITCHES, MEDIA CENTER, SWIMMING POOL.
Blue (tricky) — the connection is “Spanish clubs in the basque country”. The answers: ATHLETIC CLUB, REAL SOCIEDAD, EIBAR, ALAVÉS.
Purple (trickiest, usually wordplay) — the connection is “Paolo _____”. The answers: DI CANIO, ROSSI, MALDINI, CANNAVARO.

The puzzle, explained

The purple group is all famous Italian footballers whose last names complete the phrase "Paolo ____" — Paolo Di Canio, Paolo Rossi, Paolo Maldini, and Paolo Cannavaro are all legendary players who share that first name. The trickiest part is that these aren't just random Paolos; you need to recognize that each last name can stand alone as a complete answer, which makes it feel like they could belong to other categories. CANNAVARO and MALDINI are especially sneaky because they're defender legends who might have seemed like they could fit with the Spanish Basque clubs if you were thinking about famous defenders, and ROSSI could've tricked you into thinking about Italian players in general rather than the specific "Paolo" connection. DI CANIO was probably the least tempting as bait since it's a full two-word name, but the wordplay element of needing to recognize the pattern makes this group genuinely tough to spot.

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

LinkedIn puzzles

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 →