The Athletic has rolled out a new daily brain‑teaser called Connections: Soccer Edition, timed to the build‑up to the 2026 World Cup. The game invites readers to sort a grid of sixteen words into four groups of four, each sharing a hidden link that ties them together.
How the Game Works
Players receive a set of words and must identify four thematic clusters, placing each word into the appropriate category. The exercise blends trivia, linguistic nuance and a dash of cultural insight, turning everyday football vocabulary into a puzzle that rewards both knowledge and lateral thinking.
The puzzle for June 11 spotlights four distinct themes: the many names used for the beautiful game around the world, the opening words of Europe’s top leagues, the cities where Cristiano Ronaldo has showcased his talent, and the official currencies of the 2026 host nations.
Behind the Puzzle
Will Jeanes, a senior editor at The Athletic who specializes in soccer history and statistics, curates each daily challenge. His deep dive into the sport’s narratives ensures that every set of clues feels both fresh and rooted in football’s rich tapestry.
The next edition will drop at midnight in each player’s local time zone, giving fans a fresh chance to test their football knowledge each day.
A Sample Solution
Solvers can start by matching “football,” “soccer,” “footy” and “calcio” under the umbrella of sport names, while “Premier,” “La,” “Bundesliga” and “Serie” point to the first terms of England, Spain, Germany and Italy’s elite competitions.
Another cluster links Manchester, Turin, Madrid and Riyadh — the four host cities where Ronaldo has left his mark, offering a geographic thread that ties together his club stints and the tournament’s venue spread.
Finally, the currency category invites participants to pair the dollar, euro, riyal and real with the nations that will field teams in 2026, turning financial symbols into a subtle puzzle piece.
What’s Next
With the World Cup still a year away, the daily Connections challenges aim to keep the excitement alive, offering a blend of trivia, wordplay and cultural insight that mirrors the tournament’s global reach.