Connections: Soccer Edition hints & answers: Friday, September 18, 2026

Updated: Friday, September 18, 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 Friday, September 18, 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 18, 2026)

1One answer from each group

Yellow (easiest): one of its answers is “CHAMPIONSHIP”.
Green (easy): one of its answers is “WHITE KIT”.
Blue (tricky): one of its answers is “LITTLE”.
Purple (trickiest, usually wordplay): one of its answers is “BLACKPOOL”.

2Category hints (no answers)

Yellow (easiest): the theme is “Second-tier leagues”.
Green (easy): the theme is “Associated with real madrid”.
Blue (tricky): the theme is “Top scorers in a wsl season”.
Purple (trickiest, usually wordplay): the theme is “Clubs that begin with a color”.

3One full group revealed

Yellow (easiest) — the connection is “Second-tier leagues”, and its four answers are: CHAMPIONSHIP, SERIE B, 2. BUNDESLIGA, SEGUNDA DIVISIÓN.

Soccer Connections answers — September 18, 2026

★Today's full Soccer Connections answers, explained

Yellow (easiest) — the connection is “Second-tier leagues”. The answers: CHAMPIONSHIP, SERIE B, 2. BUNDESLIGA, SEGUNDA DIVISIÓN.
Green (easy) — the connection is “Associated with real madrid”. The answers: WHITE KIT, BERNABÉU, CHAMPIONS LEAGUE, RONALDO.
Blue (tricky) — the connection is “Top scorers in a wsl season”. The answers: LITTLE, WHITE, MIEDEMA, KERR.
Purple (trickiest, usually wordplay) — the connection is “Clubs that begin with a color”. The answers: BLACKPOOL, GREENOCK MORTON, RED STAR BELGRADE, ROSENBORG.

The puzzle, explained

The purple group is all about club names that literally start with a color—Blackpool, Greenock Morton, Red Star Belgrade, and Rosenborg (which comes from "Rosen," meaning rose, a red flower). The trickiest part is that "White" and "Little" are top WSL scorers (Sam Little and Vivianne Miedema holds the record, but there are multiple season leaders), which makes them feel like they belong in blue, when they're actually just bait. Red Star Belgrade is the sneakiest answer because you might think it belongs in green with Real Madrid—they're both dominant European clubs—but it's all about the color in the name. Same deal with Greenock Morton; it's easy to confuse with other Scottish clubs in your head, but the key is that "green" is literally in the name.

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.

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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 →