Connections: Soccer Edition hints & answers: Thursday, September 10, 2026

Updated: Thursday, September 10, 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 Thursday, September 10, 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 10, 2026)

1One answer from each group

Yellow (easiest): one of its answers is “ANFIELD”.
Green (easy): one of its answers is “SHOULDER BARGE”.
Blue (tricky): one of its answers is “KANE”.
Purple (trickiest, usually wordplay): one of its answers is “WIZARDS”.

2Category hints (no answers)

Yellow (easiest): the theme is “Premier league stadiums”.
Green (easy): the theme is “Types of fouls”.
Blue (tricky): the theme is “Scored for england”.
Purple (trickiest, usually wordplay): the theme is “Former nicknames of mls teams”.

3One full group revealed

Yellow (easiest) — the connection is “Premier league stadiums”, and its four answers are: ANFIELD, VILLA PARK, ETIHAD STADIUM, ST. JAMES' PARK.

Soccer Connections answers — September 10, 2026

★Today's full Soccer Connections answers, explained

Yellow (easiest) — the connection is “Premier league stadiums”. The answers: ANFIELD, VILLA PARK, ETIHAD STADIUM, ST. JAMES' PARK.
Green (easy) — the connection is “Types of fouls”. The answers: SHOULDER BARGE, PUSH, TRIP, KICK.
Blue (tricky) — the connection is “Scored for england”. The answers: KANE, RICE, BELLINGHAM, GORDON.
Purple (trickiest, usually wordplay) — the connection is “Former nicknames of mls teams”. The answers: WIZARDS, BURN, METROSTARS, CLASH.

The puzzle, explained

The purple group nails that wordplay vibe because each one is a former MLS team name—DC United used to be the Wizards, FC Dallas was the Burn, the New York Red Bulls were the MetroStars, and Columbus Crew were the Clash. The real trap here is that BURN, CLASH, and KICK all sound like they should be foul types (and technically a kick *is* a foul), which might have pulled you toward the green group instead. GORDON and RICE are sneaky too since they're common surnames that could apply to tons of players, so connecting them as England scorers alongside Kane and Bellingham takes some extra soccer knowledge to lock in confidently.

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 →