Panama at the World Cup 2026: can Los Canaleros escape Group L?

Panama are back. Under Danish coach Thomas Christiansen, in charge since 2020, Los Canaleros sealed their second appearance at a World Cup on 18 November 2025, beating El Salvador 3-0 in Panama City to top their CONCACAF final-round group ahead of El Salvador, Guatemala and Suriname. César Blackman, Éric Davis from the penalty spot and José Luis "Puma" Rodríguez got the goals on a historic night at the Estadio Rommel Fernández.

The qualification story is the best part. Panama swept all four of their opening-round ties — Nicaragua, Guyana, Montserrat and Belize — with a goal difference of plus-12, then went unbeaten through the final round to clinch their ticket with a game in hand. Their only previous trip was Russia 2018, where they lost all three games but gave the country its sweetest sporting memory: Felipe Baloy's goal against England, Panama's first and (so far) only World Cup goal. Eight years on, the draw has been almost poetic.

Because the draw put them in Group L with England, Croatia and Ghana — and England are the team Baloy scored against in 2018. England arrive as one of the heavyweights of the tournament, and Croatia, World Cup finalists in 2018 and semi-finalists in 2022, carry tournament pedigree even as their golden generation ages. Ghana is the more even matchup on paper, and realistically the fixture that decides whether Panama can be one of the eight best third-placed teams who advance in the new 48-team format.

Christiansen has leaned on an experienced core rather than gambling on youth. Captain Aníbal Godoy anchors the midfield alongside Pumas UNAM's Adalberto Carrasquilla, with Ismael Díaz of León and forwards Cecilio Waterman and José Fajardo carrying the attacking load that powered the qualifiers. "We want to make history, we want to do something beautiful," Christiansen said when naming his squad. It is a team that defends as a block, breaks fast and rarely beats itself — exactly the profile a World Cup outsider needs to steal a result.

Let's be honest about the ceiling: our model rates Panama a rank outsider to lift the trophy, and the title is not the conversation here. The real prize is becoming the first Panama team to win a World Cup point, and maybe a place in the round of 32. Build your own bracket and see how far Los Canaleros can run in our match simulator, and read where they fit among the 48 contenders in our 2026 predictions.