NYT Connections Soccer Edition Puzzle #17 — Answers for June 27, 2026
✅ Full Answers
🟨 Played in World Cup final but never won it
NETHERLANDS
CROATIA
HUNGARY
SWEDEN
🟩 Copa _____
AMÉRICA
DEL REY
LIBERTADORES
SUDAMERICANA
🟦 Premier League-winning Italian head coaches
ANCELOTTI
MANCINI
RANIERI
CONTE
🟪 Famous father-son soccer players
MALDINI
SIMEONE
WEAH
SCHMEICHEL
🎯 Strategy Tips
Fill-in-the-blank categories like "Copa _____" are usually the most straightforward to isolate if you know your global tournaments. Solving the Green group first clears out words like AMÉRICA and DEL REY, making it much easier to spot the tactical geniuses in the Blue group and the multi-generational family trees in Purple.
⚠️ Red Herring Warning: Watch out for the "International Surnames" overlap! Names like SIMEONE and MALDINI are strongly associated with Argentina and Italy, which might tempt players to try building an "Iconic World Cup Captains" or country-specific group. Furthermore, don't get tripped up looking for European clubs for the managers—reframe your perspective to focus on their shared nationality instead.