Missing XI

Missing XI, which the board displays as MISSING 11, places on a pitch the actual lineup of a team from a match that was really played: the real eleven, in its real formation, with shirt numbers and positions. Three names are replaced by yellow cards marked ???, and everything else is left visible: the eight named players, the positions, the competition and the score in a banner. So you are not looking for a word, you are reconstructing a match sheet. The help points out one detail that changes how you play: a correct name is accepted even if you tapped a different yellow card, because the game does not ask you to place players, only to remember them. The lineups come from official match reports on Wikipedia, and the search ignores accents and capital letters.

1. Open futbolle.com/missing-xi: the day’s lineup is already arranged on the pitch, with the match banner above.
2. Locate the three yellow ??? cards and read what the rest of the eleven tells you: formation, numbers, eight visible names, opponent and competition.
3. Tap a yellow card and type a name into the search; accents and capital letters don’t matter.
4. Don’t worry about placement: a correct name counts for any of the three hidden cards.
5. Stay within the six attempts indicated by the 'Guess 0/6' banner.

Missing XI plays on a very particular kind of memory: match sheets. Everyone thinks they know a lineup until the moment they have to recite it, and the game hits exactly that fuzzy spot: the eight names left in place are enough to date the match, the formation indicates the missing position, and the shirt number does the rest. The decision to accept a correct name regardless of which card was tapped is a small design choice that prevents the game from turning into an exercise in placement, keeping it where it’s strongest, in memory. And because the pool mixes legendary finals with forgotten group-stage matches, you never know whether the day’s puzzle will demand an obvious answer or some digging.

The only visible indicator of scoring on the board is the “Guess 0/6” counter, which advances try by try. The help also mentions a section devoted to score, sharing and the daily reset.

Core play

A single daily puzzle: the pitch showing that day’s lineup (MISSING 11) with three yellow ??? cards, the match banner and the “Guess 0/6” counter. The help and page copy state the puzzle renews at local midnight and everyone receives the same lineup each day. No alternate modes for Missing XI are shown on the page; the “Play” button leads to the site’s league selector for a different game.

• Look for the match before the names. Eight players named together usually only appear together in one team in a season: identify the fixture and the three missing players often come as a group.
• The formation tells the position before the name: an obvious gap in a line indicates what type of player is missing, even if you don’t yet know which one.
• Shirt numbers are the least reliable clue on the board: in older lineups, numbering closely matched positions.
• Since placement doesn’t matter, don’t get stuck on the card you tapped: enter the name you’re sure of. It will be validated where it belongs.