Connections: Soccer Edition hints & answers: Monday, September 21, 2026

Updated: Monday, September 21, 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 21, 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 21, 2026)

1One answer from each group

Yellow (easiest): one of its answers is “CASABLANCA”.
Green (easy): one of its answers is “INITIAL DECISION”.
Blue (tricky): one of its answers is “DRIBBLE”.
Purple (trickiest, usually wordplay): one of its answers is “LA BOMBONERA”.

2Category hints (no answers)

Yellow (easiest): the theme is “2030 world cup candidate cities”.
Green (easy): the theme is “Var terminology”.
Blue (tricky): the theme is “On-the-ball movement”.
Purple (trickiest, usually wordplay): the theme is “Copa libertadores final stadiums”.

3One full group revealed

Yellow (easiest) — the connection is “2030 world cup candidate cities”, and its four answers are: CASABLANCA, BILBAO, LISBON, MARRAKESH.

Soccer Connections answers — September 21, 2026

★Today's full Soccer Connections answers, explained

Yellow (easiest) — the connection is “2030 world cup candidate cities”. The answers: CASABLANCA, BILBAO, LISBON, MARRAKESH.
Green (easy) — the connection is “Var terminology”. The answers: INITIAL DECISION, ON-FIELD REVIEW, CLEAR AND OBVIOUS ERROR, CHECK.
Blue (tricky) — the connection is “On-the-ball movement”. The answers: DRIBBLE, TURN, FEINT, LA CROQUETA.
Purple (trickiest, usually wordplay) — the connection is “Copa libertadores final stadiums”. The answers: LA BOMBONERA, ESTADIO MONUMENTAL, ARENA DO GRÊMIO, LA CASA BLANCA.

The puzzle, explained

The purple group is all stadiums that have hosted Copa Libertadores finals, but the trick is that three of them sound like they could mean something completely different—"La Bombonera" literally translates to "the candy box," "Estadio Monumental" sounds like it could just mean any huge stadium, and "La Casa Blanca" is obviously also a famous building in Washington D.C. "Arena do Grêmio" is the giveaway that tips you off it's about stadiums, since it's the most straightforward stadium name. The big bait was confusing "LA BOMBONERA" and "ESTADIO MONUMENTAL" with the blue group about movement, since those words don't have obvious soccer meanings on the surface. Also, "LA CASA BLANCA" probably tricked a bunch of people into thinking it belonged with the yellow group of candidate cities, since it *sounds* like a place name, but it's actually Grêmio's home stadium in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

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 →