Greetings, Voyager Anonymous! This is your July 2026 dispatch from the Vegout Voyage HQ, handcrafted with care by your humble custodian. Materials henceforth are for your eyes only.

⚽ Do you have what it takes to crack the new Mini Voyage? ⚽

This month's game is Fun With Flags—2026 FIFA World Cup Edition!

Circle all the flags of countries that fit the following descriptions:

1. Home to superstar striker Erling Haaland, which Nordic nation returned to the FIFA World Cup in 2026 after a 28-year absence since France 1998?

2. The expansion from 32 to 48 teams has opened the door for several underdog nations to shine on the world stage. For example, this island nation reached the World Cup knockout stage for the first time, scoring twice against Argentina in a narrow 3–2 defeat in the Round of 32.

3. After making history in 2022 as the first African and Arab country to reach a World Cup semifinal, this country continues its rise in 2026, powered star players such as Achraf Hakimi, Yassine Bounou, and Azzedine Ounahi.

4. One of the feistiest encounters to watch in 2026 is France defeating Paraguay in the sweltering heat of July 4. Circle the three flags that appear side by side on a horizontal line, exactly in this order from left to right: Paraguay, a fake flag, then France.

5. The US ended its 24-year World Cup knockout win drought on July 1, 2026, by defeating this country that is often characterized by its Catholic churches and Ottoman-influenced mosques blending with modern coffeehouses alongside stone town streets.

6. When a single player scores three goals in one match, it is called a "hat trick." An eight-time Ballon d’Or legend from this country pulled a hat trick against Algeria on June 16, 2026. Discover and circle all three flags of this country.

7. Eagle-eyed players may have spotted this by now: the answers form a hidden message related to one of this country's national holidays.

8. But did you know this FIFA World Cup 2026 co-host throws similar nationwide celebrations just three days prior, commemorating a different history and its unique national identity?

🇭🇺 Answers to the previous Mini Voyage 🇭🇺

This is the completed image of the music puzzle. Did it take long for you to solve?

The music you played to is an excerpt of Hungarian composer Bela Bartok's Music for Strings Percussion and Celesta (1936). The image descriptions are as follows.

• Top left: Hungarian Goulash with paprika

• Top right: Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Apostle, located in Egerark

• Bottom right: Budapest’s city skyline at Danube River with view of Hungalian Parliament

• Bottom left: Stalactite and stalagmite in the cave of Aggtelek National Park

• Center: Hungarian embroidery matif (Matyo pattern)

*The Music puzzle is created with ohmydots.com. All images licensed through Canva Pro.

🚀 Vegout HQ happenings 🚀

I'm not normally a sports guy, but after an undergrad friend who used to be laser-focused on CPBL's baseball cheering squads slid into my DM asking if I could get my hands on a certain country's jersey in the States because it had sold out in Taiwan (where I went to college and where most my classmates still live), I figured it's time I climb out from under the rock to see what's what. Things escalated when my mom called to announce that my 80-year-old uncle was making a pilgrimage from Vancouver to Los Angeles, in full Maple get-up, to cheer on Team Canada. The next thing I knew, I was streaming muted live matches on the living room TV for our band rehearsals and engaging in contemporary greeting rituals such as "Paraguay?" and "Kane?" So yeah—'tis the season of the 2026 FIFA World Cup! Have fun with this month's Mini Voyage!