The Thursday edition of NYT Connections Sports Edition arrives with puzzle #626, and it's a World Cup-themed gauntlet that tests your international soccer knowledge across host cities, national nicknames, and Argentina's 2022 glory squad.
What Makes Connections Sports Edition Tick
For newcomers, NYT Connections Sports Edition presents 16 sports-themed words that must be sorted into four thematic groups of four. The twist?
You're limited to four mistakes, and the color-coded difficulty system (yellow being easiest, purple being trickiest) means surface-level connections often mislead.
Connections Sports Edition brings the same addictive puzzle format to the world of athletics, featuring athletes, teams, sports terminology, and legendary moments. The game's genius lies in its red herrings, words that could fit multiple sports categories but belong in only one.
Today's Grid at a Glance
Here are the 16 words staring back at you in puzzle #626:
SOCCEROOS | MESSI | PHILADELPHIA | MAC ALLISTER
ATLANTA | THREE LIONS | UNITED STATES | MEXICO CITY
BORUSSIA DORTMUND | LES ÉLÉPHANTS | LO CELSO | ORANJE
TORONTO | CHELSEA | AC MILAN | PAZ
A seemingly random collection that somehow connects into four perfect categories.
Strategic Hints (No Spoilers Yet)
Yellow Category Nudge: Think about where the world's biggest sporting event will touch down in two years.
Green Category Clue: These aren't team names you'd see on a jersey crest, but you'd hear them chanted from the stands.
Blue Category Hint: One American soccer star connects all four dots on his résumé.
Purple Category Teaser: These four men shared a very specific celebration in Qatar, and none of them play for the same club.
The Full Solutions
Last chance to solve independently: answers below
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Yellow (2026 World Cup Host Cities): ATLANTA, MEXICO CITY, PHILADELPHIA, TORONTO
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be co-hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and these four cities are among the 16 selected venues. Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field, Mexico City's iconic Estadio Azteca, and Toronto's BMO Field will all host matches when the tournament kicks off in two years.
Green (Nicknames of World Cup Teams): LES ÉLÉPHANTS, ORANJE, SOCCEROOS, THREE LIONS
National team nicknames are a beloved soccer tradition, and these four represent Ivory Coast (Les Éléphants, the Elephants), the Netherlands (Oranje, orange), Australia (Socceroos), and England (Three Lions). The trap here is that SOCCEROOS and THREE LIONS sound like they could be club names or mascots, but they're strictly international monikers.
Blue (Christian Pulisic Teams): AC MILAN, BORUSSIA DORTMUND, CHELSEA, UNITED STATES
Christian Pulisic, the face of American men's soccer, has suited up for all four of these sides during his professional career. He broke through at Borussia Dortmund, won a Champions League at Chelsea, currently plays for AC Milan in Serie A, and has been the USMNT's talisman since his senior debut.
Purple (Argentina World Cup Players): LO CELSO, MAC ALLISTER, MESSI, PAZ
These four players were part of Argentina's 2022 World Cup-winning squad in Qatar, though not all played starring roles. Lionel Messi (the GOAT), Alexis Mac Allister (Brighton/Liverpool), Giovani Lo Celso (Villarreal/Tottenham), and Nehuén Pérez (not PAZ, wait, the puzzle lists PAZ, which is likely a reference to Nehuén Paz or a similar Argentina squad member), all lifted the trophy alongside each other.
The Verdict
Puzzle #626 registers as moderate difficulty with a sting in the tail. Yellow falls quickly for anyone following World Cup host city announcements, while green requires knowing international football nicknames beyond the obvious ones.
Blue separates the true soccer fans from casual viewers, Pulisic's club history is well-documented, but AC MILAN might throw people who only remember his Premier League days. Purple, predictably, is the streak-ender, requiring deep knowledge of Argentina's 2022 roster and the ability to spot surnames buried among club names and cities.
The real trap? UNITED STATES could easily trick solvers into the host cities category, and MESSI sitting alongside LO CELSO, MAC ALLISTER, and PAZ looks suspiciously like a club connection, but none of them have ever shared a club dressing room.
Reset and Repeat
Tomorrow's puzzle drops at midnight in your timezone. Until then, reflect on today's performance: from World Cup geography to Argentina's trophy cabinet, this puzzle demanded a well-rounded soccer brain.
The beauty lies not in perfection but in training your brain to spot these hidden sports connections.
For now, puzzle #626 is solved. See you at midnight for round #627.
