Every evening, as the 2026 World Cup excitement builds, The Athletic releases a fresh Connections puzzle that blends soccer trivia with wordplay. Puzzle No. 37, dated July 17, 2026, challenges solvers to sort sixteen clues into four distinct groups, each anchored by a shared theme.
How the Game Works
The rules are simple: identify the hidden connection that binds a set of words and place them together. The difficulty varies from straightforward to fiendish, and the puzzles are authored by Will Jeanes, a senior editor at The Athletic who designs each challenge to test different facets of soccer knowledge.
In this edition the four categories are colour‑coded. The Yellow group spotlights teams that captured the World Cup while serving as hosts, a rare achievement that only a handful of nations have managed. The Green set explores linguistic twists on the word “game,” inviting players to think of synonyms or related expressions. Blue focuses on the physical objects that dominate the sport — different types of balls used across competitions. Finally, Purple highlights English Premier League players who have recorded a hat‑trick in the top flight, a feat that remains a benchmark of attacking brilliance.
The Answers Unveiled
Solvers who cracked the puzzle found that the Yellow category included host‑nation champions who have also lifted the trophy, a rare achievement that only a few countries have managed. The Green group gathered synonyms and related expressions for “game,” such as “match,” “play,” “sport” and “contest.” Blue’s answer listed various types of balls used across sports, including those for football, volleyball, basketball and tennis. Purple highlighted players who have scored an English top‑flight hat‑trick, a benchmark of attacking brilliance.
Will Jeanes explained that the puzzle’s design aims to reward both historical awareness and linguistic agility. “We wanted a set of categories that would feel familiar to World Cup fans yet challenge them to see connections they might have overlooked,” he said. The next puzzle will drop at midnight in each player’s local time, keeping the daily rhythm that has turned the game into a ritual for soccer enthusiasts worldwide.