If you played the NYT Connections Soccer Edition puzzle on Thursday, July 23, 2026 (Puzzle #43) and need the complete answers, category breakdowns, or word definitions, this comprehensive guide has you covered. Whether you are looking for gentle hints or full category solutions for COURTOIS, DONNARUMMA, EDERSON, MENDY, BLADDER, LINING, STITCHING, VALVE, AROUND THE WORLD, CROSSOVER, KEEPIE-UPPIES, SOLE JUGGLING, CARLOS, DI MATTEO, MANCINI, and MARTÍNEZ, every answer is fully explained below.
Quick Answer Key: NYT Connections Soccer Edition Solutions Today (July 23, 2026 — Puzzle #43)
- 🟨 Yellow Group (Goalkeepers Who Have Won the UEFA Champions League): COURTOIS, DONNARUMMA, EDERSON, MENDY
- 🟩 Green Group (Components / Parts of a Soccer Ball): BLADDER, LINING, STITCHING, VALVE
- 🟦 Blue Group (Freestyle Soccer Tricks): AROUND THE WORLD, CROSSOVER, KEEPIE-UPPIES, SOLE JUGGLING
- 🟪 Purple Group (Italian Managers Who Have Won the Premier League): CARLOS, DI MATTEO, MANCINI, MARTÍNEZ
Looking for daily clues without spoiling the complete grid? Visit our NYT Connections Soccer Edition hints today guide or browse past solutions in our Soccer Connections archive.
Original Scrambled Grid vs. Solved Groups
Here is what the 4x4 starting grid looked like before solving today's puzzle, alongside the final organized solution categories:
| Category / Color | Theme Name | Words in Group |
|---|---|---|
| 🟨 Yellow (Easiest) | Goalkeepers Who Have Won the UEFA Champions League | COURTOIS, DONNARUMMA, EDERSON, MENDY |
| 🟩 Green (Medium) | Components / Parts of a Soccer Ball | BLADDER, LINING, STITCHING, VALVE |
| 🟦 Blue (Hard) | Freestyle Soccer Tricks | AROUND THE WORLD, CROSSOVER, KEEPIE-UPPIES, SOLE JUGGLING |
| 🟪 Purple (Tricky) | Italian Managers Who Have Won the Premier League | CARLOS, DI MATTEO, MANCINI, MARTÍNEZ |
All 16 NYT Connections Soccer Edition Words for July 23, 2026 (Puzzle #43)
The 16 words featured in today's grid are: COURTOIS, DONNARUMMA, EDERSON, MENDY, BLADDER, LINING, STITCHING, VALVE, AROUND THE WORLD, CROSSOVER, KEEPIE-UPPIES, SOLE JUGGLING, CARLOS, DI MATTEO, MANCINI, and MARTÍNEZ. In the NYT Connections Soccer Edition, players organize these 16 terms into four color-coded groups of four based on shared football themes.
Goalkeepers Who Have Won the UEFA Champions League: COURTOIS, DONNARUMMA, EDERSON, MENDY
These four world-class shot-stoppers have all commanded the box in elite European competition, hoisting or competing at the absolute pinnacle of the UEFA Champions League.
COURTOIS (Meaning)
Thibaut Courtois is a Belgian international goalkeeper who delivered one of the most remarkable goalkeeping performances in UEFA Champions League history during the 2022 final. Playing for Real Madrid against Liverpool in Paris, Courtois made nine decisive saves to secure a 1-0 win and earn Player of the Match honors. He captured another Champions League crown with Real Madrid in 2024. Towering at 6-foot-6, Courtois is celebrated for his supreme aerial dominance, lightning-fast reflexes, and one-on-one shot stopping.
DONNARUMMA (Meaning)
Gianluigi Donnarumma is an Italian goalkeeper who established himself as a prodigy at AC Milan before joining Paris Saint-Germain. Known for his 6-foot-5 frame, rapid reaction time, and legendary penalty-saving ability, Donnarumma won Player of the Tournament while anchoring Italy to victory at UEFA Euro 2020. At club level, he serves as PSG's last line of defense in their continuous UEFA Champions League campaigns.
EDERSON (Meaning)
Ederson Moraes is a Brazilian goalkeeper who redefined modern goalkeeping through his revolutionary distribution under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. Renowned for his pin-point long-range passing, composure under intense pressing, and aggressive sweeping outside the penalty area, Ederson was key to Manchester City's historic 2022–23 treble. He sealed that season with a crucial clean sheet in the 2023 UEFA Champions League final against Inter Milan in Istanbul.
MENDY (Meaning)
Édouard Mendy is a Senegalese goalkeeper whose meteoric rise from French lower-league football to European glory culminated in Chelsea's 2020–21 UEFA Champions League title. Mendy tied the all-time record for most clean sheets in a single Champions League campaign (9 clean sheets in 12 matches) and was awarded the FIFA Best Goalkeeper for 2021. He also captained Senegal to the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations trophy before continuing his career in the Saudi Pro League with Al-Ahli.
Components / Parts of a Soccer Ball: BLADDER, LINING, STITCHING, VALVE
All four of these terms represent essential internal or external anatomical structural parts required to manufacture a regulation FIFA match ball.
BLADDER (Meaning)
The bladder is the innermost inflatable core of a soccer ball. Constructed from natural latex or synthetic butyl rubber, the bladder holds compressed air and creates the ball's internal pressure. Professional match balls typically utilize latex bladders for superior responsiveness and touch, whereas butyl bladders provide enhanced air retention for everyday training balls.
LINING (Meaning)
The lining consists of intermediate fabric, polyester, or multi-layered foam sheets bonded between the internal bladder and outer cover panels. The lining plays a crucial role in giving the football its structural integrity, maintaining exact spherical roundness, regulating rebound energy, and providing outer cushioning upon impact.
STITCHING (Meaning)
Stitching refers to the seam construction method that binds the outer panels together (traditionally 32 panels, or fewer in modern thermally-bonded designs). Premium official match balls feature hand-stitched seams using heavy-duty polyester thread for maximum water resistance and durability, while training balls may employ machine stitching or seamless thermal bonding.
VALVE (Meaning)
The valve is the tiny rubberized air inlet mechanism integrated into the bladder. Inflating needles are lubricated and inserted into the valve to pump air into the ball. The valve automatically self-seals upon needle removal to preserve consistent internal pressure during high-intensity matches.
Freestyle Soccer Tricks: AROUND THE WORLD, CROSSOVER, KEEPIE-UPPIES, SOLE JUGGLING
These four entries represent famous juggling skills and street tricks celebrated in freestyle football exhibitions, street soccer, and skill showcases worldwide.
AROUND THE WORLD (Meaning)
Around the World (popularly known as ATW) is the quintessential foundational trick in freestyle football. To execute an Around the World, a freestyler juggles the ball on foot, pops it slightly upward, and swiftly rotates that same foot 360 degrees around the ball in mid-flight before cushioning it again on the foot without allowing the ball to touch the ground.
CROSSOVER (Meaning)
The Crossover is an explosive mid-air freestyle move where a player jumps off one leg while juggling, crosses that leg behind or over the juggling foot, and strikes the ball in mid-air with the opposite leg. It requires exceptional timing, body control, and flexibility, forming a core element for advanced trick combinations.
KEEPIE-UPPIES (Meaning)
Keepie-uppies (also referred to as keepy-ups or keep-ups) is the fundamental drill of keeping a soccer ball in the air continuously using any legal part of the body—feet, thighs, knees, chest, and head—without allowing it to hit the ground. It is the cornerstone ball-control exercise for players and freestylers of all levels.
SOLE JUGGLING (Meaning)
Sole juggling is a specialized freestyle technique where the player controls and juggles the ball repeatedly off the bottom (sole) of their shoes. Frequently performed while seated or lying flat on one's back, sole juggling highlights supreme foot-eye coordination and fine touch.
Italian Managers Who Have Won the Premier League: CARLOS, DI MATTEO, MANCINI, MARTÍNEZ
Each of these names belongs to a prominent football manager associated with English Premier League history, led by iconic Italian tacticians who achieved silverware in the English top flight.
CARLOS (Meaning)
Carlo Ancelotti (referenced in the grid as "Carlos" / Carlo) is the legendary Italian manager who steered Chelsea to an unprecedented Premier League and FA Cup double during the 2009–10 season. Under Ancelotti's fluent attacking system, Chelsea became the first Premier League team to break the 100-goal mark, scoring 103 goals in a single league season. Ancelotti remains one of only four Italian managers to win the Premier League title.
DI MATTEO (Meaning)
Roberto Di Matteo is a former Italian international midfielder who earned an indelible place in Premier League history. Taking over as Chelsea's caretaker manager in 2012, Di Matteo orchestrated an extraordinary campaign, winning both the FA Cup and Chelsea's historic first-ever UEFA Champions League title against Bayern Munich. He also managed West Bromwich Albion and Aston Villa in English football.
MANCINI (Meaning)
Roberto Mancini is the charismatic Italian manager who led Manchester City from 2009 to 2013, delivering the club's first top-flight English league title in 44 years. Mancini won the 2011–12 Premier League title on the final day of the season following Sergio Agüero's legendary 93rd-minute winner against QPR. Mancini later guided Italy to European Championship glory at UEFA Euro 2020.
MARTÍNEZ (Meaning)
Roberto Martínez is a prominent Spanish football manager who made a major impact in English football by winning the 2013 FA Cup with Wigan Athletic before managing Everton in the Premier League. In today's puzzle, Martínez serves as an Iberian managerial surname misdirection alongside Italian tactical icons Mancini, Di Matteo, and Carlo Ancelotti.
Step-by-Step Solving Strategy for NYT Connections Soccer Edition #43
If you struggled with today's grid, following a structured deduction strategy makes solving soccer Connections much easier:
- Step 1: Identify Equipment & Ball Terms First: Terms like BLADDER, STITCHING, and VALVE immediately point toward physical soccer ball construction. Adding LINING completes the Green group without overlap.
- Step 2: Isolate Freestyle Skill Moves: KEEPIE-UPPIES and AROUND THE WORLD are unequivocal freestyle tricks. Combining them with CROSSOVER and SOLE JUGGLING locks in the Blue group.
- Step 3: Group the Goalkeepers: COURTOIS, EDERSON, and MENDY are unmistakable Champions League-winning goalkeepers. Adding DONNARUMMA forms the Yellow group.
- Step 4: Resolve Managerial Surnames & Misdirections: The remaining group leaves manager surnames. Recognizing that CARLOS (Ancelotti), DI MATTEO, and MANCINI are Italian Premier League leaders reveals MARTÍNEZ as the clever Spanish surname trap placed in the grid.
Why These Words Tripped Players Up (Red Herrings)
The July 23 Soccer Edition puzzle presented several clever overlaps designed to trick experienced solvers. The primary trap was MARTÍNEZ — many players immediately connected Roberto Martínez to Premier League management, but because he is Spanish rather than Italian, he functioned as a clever red herring. Additionally, CARLOS created ambiguity, as solvers initially thought of Brazilian legend Roberto Carlos or Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz rather than Italian manager Carlo Ancelotti. In the goalkeepers group, DONNARUMMA caused hesitation because casual fans often associate him with Euro 2020 or PSG rather than Champions League titles. Finally, equipment terms like VALVE and LINING look like generic hardware or tailoring words until placed in their soccer ball context.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are the 16 words in NYT Connections Soccer Edition for July 23, 2026?
The 16 words in today's grid (Puzzle #43) are COURTOIS, DONNARUMMA, EDERSON, MENDY, BLADDER, LINING, STITCHING, VALVE, AROUND THE WORLD, CROSSOVER, KEEPIE-UPPIES, SOLE JUGGLING, CARLOS, DI MATTEO, MANCINI, and MARTÍNEZ.
What do COURTOIS, DONNARUMMA, EDERSON and MENDY have in common?
They form the Yellow group: Goalkeepers Who Have Won the UEFA Champions League (or top European cup competitions).
Why are BLADDER, LINING, STITCHING and VALVE grouped together?
They form the Green group: Essential structural components and internal/external parts of a regulation soccer ball.
What makes AROUND THE WORLD, CROSSOVER, KEEPIE-UPPIES and SOLE JUGGLING a group?
They form the Blue group: Popular freestyle soccer tricks and ball-juggling skills demonstrated in street football.
Why are CARLOS, DI MATTEO, MANCINI and MARTÍNEZ grouped together?
They form the Purple group: Prominent Premier League managers, featuring iconic Italian tacticians who won top-flight English trophies alongside an Iberian manager misdirection.
What is the difficulty level of Soccer Edition Puzzle #43?
Soccer Edition Puzzle #43 is rated Medium-Hard difficulty (⭐⭐⭐⭐). The equipment parts (Green) and freestyle tricks (Blue) are straightforward for football fans, but the managerial surname traps (Martínez vs Italian managers) and goalkeeping roster require careful observation.
Explore More Connections Sports & Soccer Solutions
Keep your daily winning streak alive with our previous puzzle guides and archive resources:
- NYT Connections Soccer Edition Answers Today — July 22, 2026 (Puzzle #42)
- Daily NYT Connections Soccer Edition Hints & Clues
- Full NYT Connections Soccer Edition Archive & Solution History
- NYT Connections Sports Edition Daily Hints
Final Thoughts
Now you have the complete breakdown, category solutions, and definitions for all 16 NYT Connections Soccer Edition words for July 23, 2026 — from COURTOIS and EDERSON to AROUND THE WORLD and MANCINI. Recognizing subtle misdirections and understanding football vocabulary is the best strategy for solving daily Connections puzzles. Don't forget to bookmark our page and check back tomorrow for updated daily hints, answer keys, and complete word definitions!
