Connections: Soccer Edition Hints and Answers for June 27, 2026

Are you tackling today’s Connections: Soccer Edition puzzle? You’ve landed in the right spot. Welcome to Connections: Soccer Edition Coach — a community hub to collect clues and engage in discussions about the game. Before we dive in, a quick note: at the bottom of this article, you’ll find the answers and hints for the four categories. To enjoy the challenge fully, we suggest you attempt the puzzle before peeking at the answers. You can find today’s game here.

Today’s difficulty rating: Game No. 17 is set at 3 out of 5. Here are your Connections: Soccer Edition hints for June 27, 2026. Scroll down for one answer from each of the four categories.

• Yellow: CROATIA
• Green: DEL REY
• Blue: CONTE
• Purple: WEAH

Now, for the complete answers to today’s Connections: Soccer Edition puzzle. Check below for all four categories:

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• Yellow: Teams played in World Cup finals but never won: NETHERLANDS, CROATIA, HUNGARY, SWEDEN
• Green: Copa _____: AMÉRICA, DEL REY, LIBERTADORES, SUDAMERICANA
• Blue: Premier League-winning Italian head coaches: ANCELOTTI, MANCINI, RANIERI, CONTE
• Purple: Famous father-son soccer players: MALDINI, SIMEONE, WEAH, SCHMEICHEL

What is Connections: Soccer Edition?
Connections: Soccer Edition is a new daily puzzle tailored for the 2026 World Cup, where players must identify connections among 16 words displayed on the game board. Your goal is to categorize these words into four groups of four based on shared characteristics as swiftly as possible. You’re allowed three mistakes, but a fourth error ends the game and reveals the answers. Each puzzle has one unique solution, so be cautious of words that may fit multiple categories!

Category Examples:

• Teams making their World Cup debut in 2026: Cape Verde, Jordan, Curaçao, Uzbekistan
• Penalty ____: Spot, Kick, Taker, Shootout

Each category is color-coded according to difficulty, from easy (yellow) to medium (green) to challenging (blue) to difficult (purple). Naturally, these difficulty levels are subjective, so you might find yourself solving a harder puzzle before an easier one!

Who creates the puzzles for Connections: Soccer Edition?
I’m Will Jeanes, the creator of Connections: Soccer Edition and a senior editor at The Athletic. My writing predominantly revolves around soccer history and statistics. The next puzzle will be available at midnight in your time zone. Thanks for participating — and feel free to share your scores in the comments!