How to play Odd One Out
Six footballers appear in each stage. Five share a hidden football connection: a former club, international team, scoring award, shirt number or career link. Find the outsider through four stages from Easy to Expert.
- Start one daily challenge and progress through Easy, Medium, Hard and Expert in order. Each stage shows six footballers; five share a hidden connection. Select the outsider.
- You have two guesses per stage. Your first miss crosses out that player and reveals a partial clue. A second miss reveals the answer. You continue to the next stage even after a miss.
- The clock counts thinking time, including time away from an open puzzle. Loading, answer checks and explanation screens are excluded. Compare solved stages first, then first-try solves, then time.
- Historical connections use facts through 31 December 2024. Club spells require senior first-team league appearances, including loans. Starting clubs mean the first competitive senior first-team appearance, including cup matches, and exclude academies and reserve teams. Shirt numbers refer to the stated club.
- The challenge is requested only after you choose Start or Resume. Progress and your first completed result are saved in this browser. A win means solving all four stages.
- The archive starts on 20 September 2026. After the prepared schedule ends, each date receives a stable shared draw from existing challenges, so friends play the same questions.
Example round
A shared club may explain only part of a group. Look for a second club, a common teammate or the start of each player’s senior career. After your first miss, a partial clue helps narrow the connection.
Tips for Odd One Out
- Two guesses per stage; a miss never blocks the next difficulty.
- Compare solved stages, then first-try answers, then thinking time.
- Read the explanation after each stage. Loading and explanation screens do not count toward your time.