Panama National Football Team Guide 2026

PANAMA · NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM

The Panama national football team is the men’s senior side of Panama, and it played only its second World Cup in June 2026. It lost all three Group L games, to Ghana, Croatia and England, and scored no goals.

Next, Panama plays Curaçao, a Caribbean island country, in a two-leg Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal on Thursday 12 and Sunday 15 November 2026. Concacaf is the governing body of football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean.

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Who Runs the Panama National Football Team

The team is run by the Federación Panameña de Fútbol, known as Fepafut, founded in 1937. It joined FIFA, football’s world governing body, a year later and has offices in the Irving Saladino sports city in Panama City.

FIFA’s match sheets for the 2026 World Cup name Thomas Christiansen as head coach and Yoel Bárcenas as captain. Fepafut describes Christiansen as a Spanish-Danish coach, and the Spanish name for the senior men’s team is the Selección Mayor.

Christiansen held a 30-minute press conference at the federation’s auditorium on Thursday 17 September 2026. He said he wanted a generational change in the squad but also wanted Panama to compete.

How Panama Reached the 2026 World Cup

Panama played its first World Cup in Russia in 2018, where FIFA’s records show defeats by Belgium (3-0), England (6-1) and Tunisia (2-1). The 2026 tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States was therefore its second.

Panama won Group A of the final Concacaf qualifying round with 12 points from six games, with three wins, three draws and no defeats. It scored 9 goals and conceded 4, ahead of Suriname on 9 points and Guatemala on 8.

The group was settled on Tuesday 18 November 2025, when Panama beat El Salvador 3-0 at the Estadio Rommel Fernández in Panama City. Five days earlier it had won 3-2 in Guatemala.

Haiti and Curaçao also won their groups, so six Concacaf teams played in 2026, counting the hosts Canada, Mexico and the United States. Panama was the only Central American side among the six.

Before the tournament Panama lost 6-2 to Brazil at the Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday 31 May. It then beat the Dominican Republic 4-2 in Panama City and drew 1-1 with Bosnia and Herzegovina in Saint Louis on 6 June.

Panama at the 2026 World Cup, Match by Match

Panama opened against Ghana on Wednesday 17 June 2026 at Toronto Stadium. Ghana won 1-0 through a Caleb Yirenkyi goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time, before 42,942 spectators.

On Tuesday 23 June Panama lost 1-0 to Croatia at the same stadium, when Ante Budimir scored in the 54th minute. FIFA lists 43,036 people in the stands.

The last game was on Saturday 27 June at New York/New Jersey Stadium, before 80,663 spectators. England won 2-0 through Jude Bellingham in the 62nd minute and Harry Kane in the 67th.

Panama finished fourth in Group L with 0 points, having scored none and conceded four. England topped the group with 7 points, Croatia took 6 and Ghana 4.

Panama was the only one of the 48 teams that did not score a goal in the group stage, according to FIFA’s group tables. Before the England game Christiansen said the team had competed well and that finishing in the final third was its main weakness.

Panama’s 26-Player World Cup Squad

Christiansen announced the 26 players for the World Cup on Tuesday 26 May 2026, according to Fepafut. Twenty-four of them play abroad and two play in Panama’s domestic league.

Seven players had also been at Russia 2018: Ismael Díaz, Yoel Bárcenas, Amir Murillo, Fidel Escobar, Aníbal Godoy, José Luis Rodríguez and Eric Davis. FIFA’s match sheet for the Ghana game shows Bárcenas wearing the captain’s armband.

FIFA’s squad sheet lists three goalkeepers: Orlando Mosquera, Luis Mejía and César Samudio. It also lists 11 defenders, eight midfielders and four forwards, among them Adalberto Carrasquilla, Cecilio Waterman and José Fajardo.

Panama started the Ghana game in a 3-4-3 shape with Mosquera in goal. Fepafut says four other players, José Murillo, Iván Anderson, Víctor Griffith and Kadir Barría, stayed with the camp as reserves.

Coach Christiansen and the Rebuild After the World Cup

For the Asian tour Christiansen called 10 players the staff had seen little or nothing of. They included goalkeeper Marcos De León and midfielder Daivis Murillo from Panama’s domestic league.

Panama drew 1-1 with India in Bangalore on Friday 25 September 2026. In the Kirin Cup, a friendly tournament in Japan, it drew 1-1 with New Zealand in Yokohama on Thursday 1 October and lost on penalties.

Giovany Herbert scored Panama’s goal against New Zealand, his first for the senior team. On Monday 5 October Panama drew 1-1 with Ecuador in Tokyo and won the third-place match 7-6 on penalties.

Forward Josué Vergara scored on his debut against Ecuador, and goalkeeper Eddie Roberts saved two penalties in the shootout. Fepafut called the result a boost before the Curaçao games.

FIFA Ranking and Panama’s Place in Concacaf

FIFA’s men’s ranking shows Panama 44th with 1,478.41 points in the release of 20 July 2026, down from 34th and 1,539.16 points in June. The next release is scheduled for 18 November 2026.

In that table Panama is fourth among Concacaf nations, behind Mexico in 10th place, the United States in 16th and Canada in 30th. Costa Rica is the next Central American side, in 51st place.

Concacaf’s own ranking, used to seed the Nations League, also placed Panama fourth behind Mexico, the United States and Canada. Panama’s best FIFA position is 29th and its lowest is 150th.

Panama v Curaçao and the Road to the Nations League Finals

Panama meets Curaçao in the quarterfinals of the Concacaf Nations League, the confederation’s competition between national teams. The first leg is on Thursday 12 November 2026 at Stadion Ergilio Hato in Willemstad, kicking off at 8:00 p.m. local time (7:00 p.m. Eastern).

The second leg is on Sunday 15 November 2026 at 6:00 p.m. at the Estadio Rommel Fernández in Panama City. The team with the better score over the two games advances.

Curaçao reached the quarterfinals as the best group winner in League A, the top tier, and it also played at the 2026 World Cup. Panama entered the round directly as the fourth-ranked team.

The four quarterfinal winners go to the Nations League Finals, set for 25 to 28 March 2027 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. They also qualify for the 2027 Gold Cup, while the four losers play its preliminaries.

Tickets and the Home Stadium in Panama City

Fepafut began selling tickets for the 15 November home game on Friday 16 October 2026, with a limit of 10 per online sale. Payment is by Visa, Mastercard or American Express card only, and every seat is numbered after the stadium’s remodelling.

Final prices run from US$11.20 to US$44.80, listed in balboas, which are fixed at one to one with the dollar (rate of 31 October 2026). The cheapest seats are in the South Upper and North stands.

Each ticket carries a QR code that works once, so fans cannot leave and re-enter, and children who take a seat need their own ticket. Parking in the sports city lots must also be bought in advance online.

Fepafut will give a share of the Curaçao ticket revenue to people hit by the earthquake of Friday 9 October 2026. The US Geological Survey recorded that quake at magnitude 7.7, centred near Pitaloza Arriba in southern Panama.

The Fepafut Presidential Election in December 2026

Fepafut held its ordinary congress on Thursday 23 April 2026, with the executive committee led by acting president Fernando Arce. Delegates approved the 2026 budget, statute changes to match FIFA and Concacaf standards, an electoral commission and an election calendar.

The calendar points to elections in December 2026. The federation’s website lists Manuel Arias as president, Arce as first vice president and Pedro Adán Gordon as second vice president.

What It Means for You

US fans can see Panama close to home if it wins the Curaçao tie, since the Nations League Finals are set for Los Angeles. Panama’s World Cup games in Toronto and New Jersey drew up to 80,663 spectators.

Visitors to Panama City pay in US dollars, so the ticket prices above need no currency exchange. Our Panama City guide covers the city and the stadium area.

For more, see the Panama news hub, our look at Panama’s World Cup history and Panama Thanks US for Quake Help. The Panama culture guide adds background.

What Is Not Known

Christiansen’s current contract terms are not published, and neither are the candidates and the exact day of the December 2026 Fepafut vote. Who leads the federation until that vote is not stated on its website.

Panama’s fixtures after the Curaçao tie are not announced, and its opponent in the March 2027 Finals depends on the four quarterfinal results. FIFA has not published the points for its 18 November 2026 ranking.

More: Panama news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the coach of the Panama national football team?

Thomas Christiansen is head coach, as listed on FIFA’s match sheets for all three 2026 World Cup games. Fepafut, the national federation, quoted him at press conferences in September and October 2026.

How did Panama do at the 2026 World Cup?

Panama lost 1-0 to Ghana on 17 June, 1-0 to Croatia on 23 June and 2-0 to England on 27 June 2026. It finished fourth in Group L with 0 points and scored no goals.

What is Panama’s FIFA ranking?

FIFA’s ranking shows Panama 44th with 1,478.41 points in the release of 20 July 2026. Its best position is 29th, and the next release is on 18 November 2026.

When does Panama play next?

Panama plays Curaçao on Thursday 12 November 2026 in Willemstad and on Sunday 15 November 2026 in Panama City. The winner over two games reaches the Nations League Finals on 25 to 28 March 2027.

How much are tickets for Panama v Curaçao on 15 November?

Fepafut’s final prices run from US$11.20 to US$44.80. Tickets are sold online with a limit of 10 per sale.

When is the Fepafut presidential election?

Fepafut approved an election calendar for December 2026 at its congress on 23 April 2026. The candidate list and the exact day have not been published.

Sources: FIFA, men’s world ranking, Panama (release of 20 July 2026), 2 November 2026; FIFA, World Cup 2026 match sheets and group tables, 2 November 2026; Concacaf, Nations League 2026/27 fixtures and Finals dates, 2 November 2026; Fepafut, Selección Mayor news and fixtures, 2 November 2026; Fepafut, ticket sale and prices for Panama v Curaçao, 16 October 2026; Fepafut, ordinary congress 2026, 27 April 2026; Fepafut, executive committee, 2 November 2026; US Geological Survey, M 7.7 earthquake near Pitaloza Arriba, Panama (9 October 2026), 9 October 2026.

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief