June 25, 2026 Connections: Soccer Edition Puzzle 15
The Athletic's daily brain‑teaser, Connections: Soccer Edition, returns on June 25, 2026 with its fifteenth installment, tying together the excitement of the upcoming 2026 World Cup.
Players are presented with sixteen items and must partition them into four groups of four, each sharing a hidden connection. The challenge allows for three incorrect attempts before the solution is revealed, and every puzzle is designed to have a single, definitive answer.
The difficulty for this edition is rated four out of five, indicating a moderate but satisfying level of complexity for solvers.
Today's categories are themed around league champions, European champions, the first English word in World Cup team names, and Manchester United’s iconic number‑seven shirts. Hints provided for the four groups are the words FIRST, AJAX, SOUTH and CANTONA.
Solvers who decode the clues can uncover the full sets: TOP, FIRST, WINNER, CHAMPION for the yellow category; AJAX, JUVENTUS, PORTO, MARSEILLE for the green; IVORY, CAPE, SOUTH, NEW for the blue; and CANTONA, BEST, VALENCIA, BECKHAM for the purple.
The creator behind these soccer‑centric riddles is Will Jeanes, a senior editor at The Athletic who specializes in soccer history and statistics. Jeanes curates the puzzles to blend trivia with a love of the sport.
The next puzzle will drop at midnight in each player’s local time zone, offering a fresh set of clues to test one's football knowledge.