Connections: Soccer Edition hints & answers: Friday, September 25, 2026

Updated: Friday, September 25, 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 25, 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 25, 2026)

1One answer from each group

Yellow (easiest): one of its answers is “DERBY”.
Green (easy): one of its answers is “MANCHESTER CITY”.
Blue (tricky): one of its answers is “OLD FIRM”.
Purple (trickiest, usually wordplay): one of its answers is “NORTH LONDON”.

2Category hints (no answers)

Yellow (easiest): the theme is “A game between rivals”.
Green (easy): the theme is “Clubs in greater manchester”.
Blue (tricky): the theme is “Associated with scottish soccer”.
Purple (trickiest, usually wordplay): the theme is “English club derbies”.

3One full group revealed

Yellow (easiest) — the connection is “A game between rivals”, and its four answers are: DERBY, RIVALRY, GRUDGE MATCH, SHOWDOWN.

Soccer Connections answers — September 25, 2026

★Today's full Soccer Connections answers, explained

Yellow (easiest) — the connection is “A game between rivals”. The answers: DERBY, RIVALRY, GRUDGE MATCH, SHOWDOWN.
Green (easy) — the connection is “Clubs in greater manchester”. The answers: MANCHESTER CITY, SALFORD CITY, STOCKPORT COUNTY, OLDHAM ATHLETIC.
Blue (tricky) — the connection is “Associated with scottish soccer”. The answers: OLD FIRM, TARTAN ARMY, FITBA, DALGLISH.
Purple (trickiest, usually wordplay) — the connection is “English club derbies”. The answers: NORTH LONDON, MANCHESTER, TYNE-WEAR, STEEL CITY.

The puzzle, explained

The purple group is all about famous English derbies, but here's the trick—they're not the full club names, just the *geographic descriptor* that makes each rivalry iconic. "North London" is the Arsenal-Tottenham derby, "Manchester" is City-United, "Tyne-Wear" is Newcastle-Sunderland, and "Steel City" is Sheffield United-Sheffield Wednesday. The bait was heavy on the green group since Manchester City and Salford City are actual clubs, so your brain wanted to pair "Manchester" with them, plus "Stockport County" and "Oldham Athletic" made you think "Steel City" might be another Greater Manchester team. But Steel City is Sheffield, not Manchester—that's what makes purple so devious!

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 →