Their road to qualification was far from convincing, and they came close to missing out on an automatic berth. In the second round of CONCACAF qualifying, Panama topped their group with 12 points to advance. The third round paired them with Suriname, Guatemala, and El Salvador, and they stumbled out of the gate with frustrating draws against Suriname and Guatemala. Their first victory came away to El Salvador. A subsequent home win over El Salvador, combined with Suriname's final-match loss to Guatemala, lifted Panama to the top of the group. They finished first with 12 points ahead of second-place Suriname's 9, securing direct qualification on a record of three wins, three draws, and no losses.
The squad leans heavily on experience. Pumas midfielder Adalberto "Coco" Carrasquilla headlines the group, joined by familiar names such as midfielder Aníbal Godoy, defenders Eric Davis and Fidel Escobar, and 38-year-old winger Alberto Quintero. In attack, Ismael Díaz, José Fajardo, and Cecilio Waterman have all shown a knack for scoring in bunches during recent CONCACAF competition. Their clinical finishing will be vital for a side that hopes to punish its group opponents on the counter-attack.
One notable omission is young forward Kadir Barria, whom head coach Thomas Christiansen left off the final list despite his goal on his senior debut earlier this year and a solid spell with Brazilian club Botafogo. Many fans took to social media to voice their displeasure over the decision. To prepare for the tournament, Panama will play three warm-up matches: a clash with Brazil at the Maracanã, a home fixture against the Dominican Republic at Estadio Rommel Fernández Gutiérrez, and a meeting with Bosnia and Herzegovina at Energizer Park after the team arrives in the United States.
Panama have been drawn into Group L alongside England, Croatia, and Ghana. "Los Canaleros" open their 2026 World Cup on June 17 against Ghana at BMO Field in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They remain in Toronto to face Croatia on June 23. For their final group match, they travel to East Rutherford, New Jersey, to take on former champions England at MetLife Stadium on June 27.
Panama 2026 World Cup Squad:
Goalkeepers: Orlando Mosquera (Al-Fayha FC), Luis Mejía (Club Nacional), César Samudio (CD Marathon)
Defenders: César Blackman (Slovan Bratislava), Jorge Gutiérrez (Deportivo La Guaira), Amir Murillo (Besiktas), Fidel Escobar (Deportivo Saprissa), Andrés Andrade (LASK), Edgardo Fariña (FC Pari Nizhniy Novgorod), José Córdoba (Norwich City), Eric Davis (CD Plaza Amador), Jiovani Ramos (Academia Puerto Cabello), Roderick Miller (Turan Tovuz)
Midfielders: Aníbal Godoy (San Diego FC), Adalberto Carrasquilla (UNAM Pumas), Carlos Harvey (Minnesota United FC), Cristian Martínez (Ironi Kiryat Shmona), José Luis Rodríguez (FC Juarez), Cesar Yanis (CD Cobresal), Yoel Bárcenas (Mazatlan FC), Alberto Quintero (CD Plaza Amador), Azarías Londoño (CD Universidad Catolica)
Forwards: Ismael Díaz (Club Leon FC), Cecilio Waterman (Universidad de Concepcion), José Fajardo (CD Universidad Catolica), Tomás Rodríguez (Deportivo Saprissa)
