Fifa World Cup 2026: What you need to know about Panama

Get the lowdown on every team at the 2026 World Cup. Here we take a closer look at Central American side Panama.

What can I expect from Panama?

Panama are approaching their second World Cup with far greater ambition than their first, in 2018. "We're not going for a selfie," says transformative head coach Thomas Christiansen.

The focus is on beating Ghana in their opening group match, knowing it would all-but guarantee a place in the last 32.

Christiansen has implemented the same possession-based style he learned as a young Barcelona player under Johan Cruyff. There's an emphasis on structured attacking patterns, with width key.

Above all, he's given the national team an identity, something they never previously had in a country where baseball remains king.

Christiansen appears to have settled on a 3-4-2-1 formation in possession, which will become 5-4-1 when defending.

What are Panama's strengths?

Panama's compact defensive structure has frustrated many an opponent.

They are well organised, disciplined and hard working, with head coach Christiansen saying: "Many of the sides we've faced have outperformed us, but we've got the better of them by playing as a unit."

They're also a genuine threat from set-pieces.

And what about their weaknesses?

There's a stark lack of attacking quality in open play, both in terms of creating and taking chances.

Panama's shot conversion rate of 15% during the qualifiers was only the joint-17th best in their region.

Half of the players in the squad are in their 30s and none of them play in Europe's top five leagues.

How might Panama line up?

Which players should I look out for?

Adalberto Carrasquilla is Panama's midfield orchestrator. His poise, athleticism and high technical level were recognised when he became the first Panamanian to win Concacaf's Men's Player of the Year award in 2024.

Known as 'Coco', the 27-year-old has recovered from an injury scare playing for his Mexican club in May.

Ismael Diaz only played for 28 minutes at the 2018 World Cup but in recent years he has developed a reputation for delivering when it matters.

The left winger, 29, is Panama's likeliest source of goals and was last year's Gold Cup Golden Boot winner.

Right wing-back Michael Amir Murillo, 30, was the only member of Panama's squad in one of Europe's top five leagues until he left Marseille for Besiktas in February. He faced England at the 2018 World Cup.

Who is Panama's head coach?

Denmark-born Thomas Christiansen briefly lived in Panama as a young child and is now the national team's longest-serving head coach. The 53-year-old took charge in July 2020, two-and-a-half years after being sacked by Leeds United.

How did Panama qualify?

They made a sluggish start to the final round of qualifying with one win in four group games but finished with two victories to beat Suriname to top spot.

Where can I watch Panama?

All of Panama's matches will also be covered live on the BBC Sport website and app with updates, analysis, and fan reaction. Come and be part of it!

Give me a fact to impress my friends

Thanks to its narrow S-shape, Panama is the only country in the world where you can watch the sun rise over the Pacific Ocean and set over the Atlantic from the same spot.

Both views are possible from the top of the Volcan Baru mountain, the highest point in Panama.

Now give me some proper detail

It was Panamanian pandemonium just after 8.30am on Sunday 24th June 2018 when Felipe Baloy scored his country's first World Cup goal.

It came against an England side leading 6-0, with the widespread eruption of joy in the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium and back in Panama a reflection of how far the national side had come – and how far they still had to go.

Enter Thomas Christiansen. The Denmark-born former Spain international had lasted less than a year in each of his previous two jobs, at Leeds United and Belgian side Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, but since 2020 he has steadily elevated the Panama national team to a level they had never consistently managed before.

They were runners-up at the 2023 Gold Cup and, for the first time, reached the Copa America quarter-finals in 2024 and Concacaf Nations League final last year. In all three of those tournaments, Panama beat the USA along the way.

"Scoring a consolation goal should no longer be a reason for Panamanians to celebrate," Christiansen said in March this year. "The [World Cup] goal is to make history and achieve a first victory; with a win, we can get closer to our dream of advancing."

How have Panama done at previous World Cups?

This is Panama's second World Cup appearance. As debutants in 2018, they finished bottom of a group including England, Belgium and Tunisia and conceded a tournament-high 11 goals.