Connections: Soccer Edition hints & answers: Monday, September 28, 2026

Updated: Monday, September 28, 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 28, 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 28, 2026)

1One answer from each group

Yellow (easiest): one of its answers is “CALCIO”.
Green (easy): one of its answers is “PIRLO”.
Blue (tricky): one of its answers is “BOSNIA”.
Purple (trickiest, usually wordplay): one of its answers is “OLYMPIASTADION”.

2Category hints (no answers)

Yellow (easiest): the theme is “Italian soccer language”.
Green (easy): the theme is “Played for juventus, ac milan and inter milan”.
Blue (tricky): the theme is “First word in english in names of past world cup teams”.
Purple (trickiest, usually wordplay): the theme is “Associated with german soccer”.

3One full group revealed

Yellow (easiest) — the connection is “Italian soccer language”, and its four answers are: CALCIO, CURVA, AZZURRI, CATENACCIO.

Soccer Connections answers — September 28, 2026

★Today's full Soccer Connections answers, explained

Yellow (easiest) — the connection is “Italian soccer language”. The answers: CALCIO, CURVA, AZZURRI, CATENACCIO.
Green (easy) — the connection is “Played for juventus, ac milan and inter milan”. The answers: PIRLO, IBRAHIMOVIĆ, VIEIRA, BAGGIO.
Blue (tricky) — the connection is “First word in english in names of past world cup teams”. The answers: BOSNIA, SOUTH, NORTHERN, REPUBLIC.
Purple (trickiest, usually wordplay) — the connection is “Associated with german soccer”. The answers: OLYMPIASTADION, BECKENBAUER, BUNDESLIGA, EAST AND WEST.

The puzzle, explained

The purple group is all about Germany in different ways: OLYMPIASTADION is Berlin's famous stadium, BECKENBAUER is the legendary German player, BUNDESLIGA is the German league, and EAST AND WEST refers to the two German national teams that existed before reunification. The trickiest part is that BECKENBAUER could trick you into thinking it's just about great players (like the green group), when it's actually specifically German. EAST AND WEST is the real sneaky one—you might assume it's part of the blue group since it sounds like it could be the start of a country name, but it's actually referring to East Germany and West Germany's separate soccer programs, making it purely about German soccer history.

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

LinkedIn puzzles

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 (157 puzzles) → · How to play Connections: Soccer Edition →