Panama announces squad for the 2026 World Cup: Christiansen selects 26 players for a second appearance on the biggest stage
The Panama national football team has announced a 26-player squad for the 2026 World Cup, with head coach Thomas Christiansen completing a key part of preparations for Panama's second appearance at the World Cup finals. According to an announcement by the Panamanian Football Federation, the final squad was presented on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in a video release filmed in front of the Panama Canal Authority building, a location chosen for its strong symbolism for the country and the national team. Panama will play in Group L at the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico, together with Ghana, Croatia and England. It marks a return to the world stage after Russia 2018, when Panama appeared at the World Cup for the first time in its history. The new squad therefore carries double significance: it confirms the continuity of a generation that has already gone through a major tournament, while also bringing a broader group of players formed in international leagues.
A squad with many internationals and several players from the domestic league
According to the Panamanian Football Federation, 24 of the 26 called-up players play outside Panama, while two come from the Liga Panameña de Fútbol, the domestic championship. That figure shows how much the national team has built a player base abroad in recent years, from North and Central America to Europe, South America and Asia. Head coach Christiansen relied on a proven core, but did not completely close the door to players competing in the Panamanian championship, so Eric Davis and Alberto Quintero from CD Plaza Amador are on the list. In its announcement, the federation also pointed out that four players who were not included in the final squad will remain in the preparation camp as reserves. They are Iván Anderson, Víctor Griffith, José Murillo and Kadir Barría, which means the coaching staff will have additional options until the final phase of preparations in case of injuries or changes to the plan.
It was especially emphasized that the squad includes seven footballers who already played at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. According to the federation's announcement, they are Ismael Díaz, Yoel Bárcenas, Amir Murillo, Fidel Escobar, Aníbal Godoy, José Luis Rodríguez and Eric Davis. Their experience will be important in a group in which Panama immediately enters demanding competitive matches, while also giving the coach stability in the dressing room and on the pitch. Captain Aníbal Godoy, the San Diego FC midfielder, remains one of the key authorities in the national team, while Adalberto Carrasquilla is expected to play a creative and organizational role in midfield. The federation also stated that Carrasquilla was included in the final squad even though his progress must be monitored after he had to leave the Mexican Liga MX final between Pumas and Cruz Azul on May 24.
Goalkeepers, defence, midfield and attack
The goalkeeper list includes Orlando Mosquera from Saudi club Al-Fayha, Luis Mejía from Uruguay's Nacional and César Samudio from Honduras' Marathón. That selection shows that Christiansen opted for a combination of experience and continuity, without major surprises in the last line in front of the goalkeeper. In defence are César Blackman, Jorge Gutiérrez, Amir Murillo, Fidel Escobar, Andrés Andrade, Edgardo Fariña, José Córdoba, Eric Davis, Jiovany Ramos and Roderick Miller. Panama's defence therefore brings together players from Slovakia's Slovan Bratislava, Venezuela's Deportivo La Guaira, Turkey's Beşiktaş, Costa Rica's Deportivo Saprissa, Austria's LASK, Russia's Pari NN, England's Norwich City, CD Plaza Amador, Academia Puerto Cabello and Azerbaijan's Turan Tovuz.
The midfield consists of Aníbal Godoy, Carlos Harvey, Adalberto Carrasquilla, Cristian Martínez, José Luis Rodríguez, César Yanis, Yoel Bárcenas, Alberto Quintero and Azarías Londoño. According to the federation's list, it is a line featuring players from MLS, Mexico, Israel, Chile, Ecuador and Panama, giving Panama different profiles in the middle of the pitch. Carrasquilla, a Pumas player, is the most recognizable name in the creative part of the team, while Godoy and Harvey provide structure, duel play and experience from American club football. In attack are Ismael Díaz from León, Cecilio Waterman from Universidad de Concepción, José Fajardo from Universidad Católica and Tomás Rodríguez from Deportivo Saprissa. This is a narrower attacking selection, so finishing efficiency and the contribution of wide and midfield players will play an important role in Panama's attempt to be competitive in Group L.
- Goalkeepers: Orlando Mosquera, Luis Mejía, César Samudio.
- Defenders: César Blackman, Jorge Gutiérrez, Amir Murillo, Fidel Escobar, Andrés Andrade, Edgardo Fariña, José Córdoba, Eric Davis, Jiovany Ramos, Roderick Miller.
- Midfielders: Aníbal Godoy, Carlos Harvey, Adalberto Carrasquilla, Cristian Martínez, José Luis Rodríguez, César Yanis, Yoel Bárcenas, Alberto Quintero, Azarías Londoño.
- Forwards: Ismael Díaz, Cecilio Waterman, José Fajardo, Tomás Rodríguez.
- Reserves in camp: Iván Anderson, Víctor Griffith, José Murillo, Kadir Barría.
Preparation plan before departure for Canada
Panama enters the final stage of preparations not only with the squad announced, but also with a clearly set schedule of friendly matches. According to the Panamanian Football Federation, the national team began its official camp on May 24, and the first players and staff members began gathering at the national team's hotel. After the final squad was announced, the team continues training and travels to Brazil, where it will face Brazil in a friendly match at the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on May 31. That encounter will be the most demanding test before the tournament, because it gives Panama a check against one of the strongest national teams in the world and an opportunity to see how much the team can withstand pressure against an opponent of high individual quality.
After the trip to Brazil, Panama will play the Dominican Republic on June 3 at the Rommel Fernández Gutiérrez Stadium, in a match the federation announced as a farewell to the home crowd before leaving for the world showcase. The final warm-up match is scheduled for June 6 against Bosnia and Herzegovina at Energizer Park in St. Louis. According to a statement by the general secretary of the Panamanian Football Federation, Miguel Zúñiga, published on the federation's website, the match against a European opponent makes sense because it comes immediately before Panama opens its campaign in Toronto and gives the national team a final check in the United States. After that match, according to the federation's plan, the players, coaching staff and accompanying personnel should travel to Toronto on June 7, and then on to the camp in New Tecumseth in the Canadian province of Ontario.
Group L brings Ghana, Croatia and England
According to FIFA's schedule and announcements by the Panamanian Football Federation, Panama will open the competition on June 17 with a match against Ghana at Toronto Stadium. The second match is on June 23 against Croatia, also in Toronto, while the third group match is scheduled for June 27 against England in East Rutherford, in the state of New Jersey. This is a group in which Panama will not have much room for a slow entry into the tournament, because every match is against a tactically, physically or individually demanding opponent. Ghana brings African speed and strength, Croatia the experience of major tournaments, and England squad depth and high public expectations. For Panama, the first match will therefore be especially important, because a positive result against Ghana could significantly change the dynamics of the group.
The format of the 2026 World Cup has been expanded to 48 national teams, and the tournament is played in three host countries: the USA, Canada and Mexico. Such a format increases the number of matches and opens additional opportunities for national teams that previously did not often get through the group, but at the same time it does not reduce the demands of the competition. In Russia in 2018, Panama finished the tournament in the group stage, but also scored its historic first goal at World Cups, precisely in the match against England. Eight years later, the new meeting with England has clear symbolism, but for Christiansen's team it is more important not to reduce the tournament only to an emotional return. According to the available schedule, the first two matches in Toronto could be crucial for the points tally before the final duel with England.
How Panama secured its second appearance at the World Cup
According to FIFA, Panama qualified for the 2026 World Cup as the winner of Group A in the final round of CONCACAF qualifying. The key moment came in the final round, when Panama defeated El Salvador 3:0 and overtook Suriname in the group standings. In its review of the qualifiers, FIFA stated that Panama returned to the biggest stage in this way for the first time since 2018. CONCACAF, in its overview of the qualifying path, also highlighted Panama as one of the national teams that secured direct qualification from the region, in a cycle in which the United States, Canada and Mexico already had host status. For Panamanian football, this is confirmation of a period in which the national team is no longer just an occasional surprise package, but a stable participant in the final stages of regional competitions.
In the last few years, Panama has achieved several results that have raised expectations ahead of the 2026 World Cup. In the context of qualification, FIFA recalled the appearance in the final of the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup and the final phase of the CONCACAF Nations League, showing that the national team has built continuity beyond the qualifiers themselves. Still, the World Cup remains another level of competition, with greater intensity, stricter tactical details and less room for mistakes. Christiansen's squad is therefore not just an administrative announcement, but a signal of how Panama plans to play: with a backbone of experienced internationals, a strong base of players abroad and a limited but important contribution from the domestic league. The final value of that selection will be measured in June, when the national team opens its second appearance on the world stage in Toronto.
Carrasquilla under special monitoring, Godoy joins later
One of the more important notes in the federation's announcement concerns the status of Adalberto Carrasquilla. The Panamanian Football Federation stated that the Pumas midfielder was included in the squad, but also that the development of his recovery is being awaited after he left the Mexican championship final on May 24. At this moment, the federation has not announced that his appearance at the World Cup is in danger, but it is clear that the health condition of one of the most important players will be monitored during the final preparations. Carrasquilla is important for Panama because he can connect the lines, speed up ball progression and add extra quality in possession, especially against opponents who will try to impose a high tempo. If he is fully fit, his place in midfield will be one of the key points of the plan against Ghana, Croatia and England.
The federation also announced a special plan for Aníbal Godoy, who is expected to remain in the United States during part of the preparations and should join the national team from June 4, when Panama travels to St. Louis for the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Several other players will join the team after club duties in South American competitions. Jorge Gutiérrez has a Copa Libertadores match with Deportivo La Guaira against Fluminense, Jiovany Ramos has Copa Sudamericana duties with Academia Puerto Cabello against Atlético Mineiro, and Luis Mejía plays for Nacional against Coquimbo in the Copa Libertadores. According to the federation's announcement, they should join preparations in Rio de Janeiro, meaning Panama will only have a broader picture of the squad's condition in Brazil.
A second trip to the World Cup as confirmation of the national team's development
Panama's first appearance at the 2018 World Cup had historic significance because it marked the national team's entry into the circle of participants in football's biggest competition. The 2026 appearance is different in tone, because the team is no longer expected only to participate, but to show progress compared with the experience from Russia. Thomas Christiansen's squad therefore combines players who have already gone through the pressure of the world stage and those who have developed in foreign leagues in the meantime. In Group L, Panama will probably more often be in the role of a team that has to withstand pressure and look for opportunities through discipline, transition and set pieces. In such a context, the experience of defenders such as Amir Murillo, Fidel Escobar and Eric Davis, as well as midfielder Godoy, can be as important as the attacking efficiency of Díaz, Waterman, Fajardo and Rodríguez.
The announcement of the final squad on May 26 marked the beginning of the final phase in which there is no longer much room for major changes. The four reserve players remain close to the team, but the basic selection is known and the preparation matches against Brazil, the Dominican Republic and Bosnia and Herzegovina will be built on it. According to the official schedule, Panama will move to Canada after St. Louis and complete its preparations there for the first duel against Ghana. In a broader sense, this squad confirms that Panamanian football is trying to rely on a generation that has gained international experience and on a national team that showed enough stability through qualifying to return to the World Cup. In June, it will be seen whether that continuity can also bring a result beyond the symbolic meaning of a second qualification.
Sources:
- Panamanian Football Federation – official announcement of the final 26-player squad, reserves, preparation plan and status of individual national team players (link)
- Panamanian Football Federation – information on the start of the national team camp and schedule of activities before the squad announcement (link)
- Panamanian Football Federation – announcement of the final warm-up match against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Panama's schedule in Group L (link)
- FIFA – official schedule of the 2026 World Cup and matches in Group L (link)
- FIFA – overview of Panama's qualification for the 2026 World Cup through CONCACAF qualifying (link)
- CONCACAF – overview of Panama's qualifying path to the 2026 World Cup (link)