Connections: Soccer Edition hints & answers: Thursday, September 24, 2026

Updated: Thursday, September 24, 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 24, 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 24, 2026)

1One answer from each group

Yellow (easiest): one of its answers is “STUDS”.
Green (easy): one of its answers is “PSG”.
Blue (tricky): one of its answers is “NATIONAL ANTHEMS”.
Purple (trickiest, usually wordplay): one of its answers is “INTERNATIONAL”.

2Category hints (no answers)

Yellow (easiest): the theme is “Parts of a soccer boot”.
Green (easy): the theme is “Khvicha kvaratskhelia teams”.
Blue (tricky): the theme is “Associated with international soccer”.
Purple (trickiest, usually wordplay): the theme is “_____ break”.

3One full group revealed

Yellow (easiest) — the connection is “Parts of a soccer boot”, and its four answers are: STUDS, LACES, TONGUE, HEEL.

Soccer Connections answers — September 24, 2026

★Today's full Soccer Connections answers, explained

Yellow (easiest) — the connection is “Parts of a soccer boot”. The answers: STUDS, LACES, TONGUE, HEEL.
Green (easy) — the connection is “Khvicha kvaratskhelia teams”. The answers: PSG, NAPOLI, GEORGIA, DINAMO BATUMI.
Blue (tricky) — the connection is “Associated with international soccer”. The answers: NATIONAL ANTHEMS, CAPS, CALL-UPS, FRIENDLIES.
Purple (trickiest, usually wordplay) — the connection is “_____ break”. The answers: INTERNATIONAL, FAST, HALF-TIME, WINTER.

The puzzle, explained

The purple group is all about what can come before the word "break"—international break, fast break, half-time break, and winter break are all common phrases you'll hear in sports and beyond. The trickiest part is that "INTERNATIONAL" and "CAPS" and "CALL-UPS" are all genuinely tied to international soccer, so your brain gets stuck thinking "international break" belongs in the blue group instead of the purple one. Same trap with "HALF-TIME"—it's totally a soccer concept, but it's really just part of the wordplay category here. "FAST" is the dead giveaway that breaks you out of the soccer mindset, since a fast break is a basketball move, which signals you're looking for the "___ break" pattern across all four answers.

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 →