The Chain

How to Play The Chain

1. 1

   A starting footballer is shown.

2. 2

   Add a player who shared at least one club with the starting player.

3. 3

   Add another who shared a club with player 2 — and so on.

4. 4

   Each link must be a real shared-club pairing, validated automatically against real career data.

5. 5

   The longer your chain before a dead end, the higher your score. Today's chain is shared globally.

Why Players Love It

• ✓

  Combines memory, lateral thinking and football archaeology.

• ✓

  Forces you to remember journeyman careers and squad rotations from every era.

• ✓

  Sharing your chain on social drives debate — 'how did you get from Pirlo to Sissoko in 12 moves?'

Frequently Asked Questions

How does The Chain work in Football IQ?

You start with one footballer and build a chain by adding players who each shared at least one club with the previous link. The longer the chain you build before hitting a dead end, the higher your score.

Are loan spells counted as shared clubs?

Yes — loan spells, youth-team appearances and short cup-tied stints all count as a shared club. Football IQ uses comprehensive career data so even brief overlaps register.

Where can I play The Chain?

The Chain is part of the Football IQ mobile app, free on the App Store. It is one of 11 game modes, including six exclusive to the app.

Is there a global leaderboard for The Chain?

Yes — the daily chain is shared globally, so you can compare your chain length against the average and the top scorer of the day.

More App-Only Modes