Panama announces a determined response against Croatia: Mosquera believes Group L is not lost yet
Panama goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera Mejía has announced a determined performance from his national team in the match against Croatia in the second round of Group L at the 2026 World Cup. Panama entered the tournament with a 1-0 defeat to Ghana, after Caleb Yirenkyi scored in the fifth minute of stoppage time, a result that, according to FIFA’s official report, hit Thomas Christiansen’s team hard. Despite that outcome, the Panamanian goalkeeper says the disappointment was quickly put behind the team and that the focus has been fully shifted to the duel with Croatia, scheduled for June 23, 2026, at the stadium in Toronto. In the match preview, he stressed that there is a strong desire in the dressing room to write history and for Panama to show that there is still enough room in the group for a response. That message carries additional weight because Croatia also have no points after the first round, so the meeting in Toronto will have direct consequences for the prospects of both national teams in the rest of the competition.
According to FIFA’s official schedule, the Panama – Croatia match is played on June 23 at 23:00 Coordinated Universal Time, that is, in the evening slot in Toronto. It is a second-round match in Group L, which also includes England and Ghana. After the first round, England, according to FIFA’s report, beat Croatia 4-2 in Dallas, while Ghana defeated Panama 1-0 in Toronto. This means that England and Ghana opened the tournament with three points each, while Panama and Croatia enter their mutual encounter without points and with a clear need to improve their position before the final round. In the expanded World Cup format, in which the two best national teams from each group and the eight best third-placed teams advance, even a defeat in the first round does not have to be decisive, but a second setback can significantly narrow the room for recovery.
The defeat to Ghana changed the tone, but not the ambition
Panama were left without a point against Ghana in the closing stages of a match that for a long time looked like a duel in which discipline and patience could be rewarded. FIFA stated in its report that Yirenkyi scored in the 95th minute and thus gave Ghana an important victory in their first appearance in Group L. For Panama, such an ending was especially painful because the team held a result until the very end that would have allowed them a calmer entry into the match with Croatia. According to Spanish and Panamanian reports, Panama had periods of good organisation in parts of the match, but failed to turn possession and several situations in front of the opponent’s goal into a goal. Mosquera’s message after that defeat is therefore not only motivational, but also tactically important: Panama must retain their solidity, but against Croatia they must show more courage in the final phase of attack.
In Panama’s dressing room, according to the available information from the match preview, the emphasis has been placed on mental recovery. Mosquera Mejía pointed out that the team quickly closed the chapter of the defeat to Ghana and that the energy was directed toward Croatia. Such an approach suits the profile of a national team that in recent years has been built on collective discipline, intensity and a readiness to seek space against technically stronger opponents through transition, set pieces and physical solidity. Panama do not enter the match as favourites, but because of the result of the first round they have a clear calculation: a positive result against Croatia would bring them back into the competitive rhythm and preserve hope of progression. Defeat, on the other hand, would mean that the final encounter against England would have an extremely difficult context.
Croatia seek improvement after six goals in Dallas
Croatia enter the match with Panama after a 4-2 defeat to England, in a meeting that, according to FIFA’s report, was marked by two-goal scorer Harry Kane, a goal by Jude Bellingham and the final goal by Marcus Rashford. Croatia came back into the match twice in the first half, through Martin Baturina and Petar Musa, but failed to maintain balance in the second half. Such a result left Zlatko Dalić’s team without points, but with proof that they possess enough attacking potential to create chances even against one of the strongest national teams in the group. On the other hand, four goals conceded opened questions about defensive stability, management of space between the lines and the reaction after lost balls. Those are precisely the areas Panama will try to exploit if they want to achieve a result that could be considered historic in Panamanian football.
For Croatia, the duel with Panama is crucial because the defeat to England reduces the permitted margin for error. According to FIFA’s competition format, second place in the group remains a realistic goal, but points against Panama become almost necessary before the final meeting with Ghana in Philadelphia. Croatia also have the experience of deep tournament runs, including the 2018 World Cup final and the 2022 semi-final, and FIFA notes in the team profile that Dalić is again leading a blend of experienced players and younger standard-bearers. Luka Modrić, Ivan Perišić, Mateo Kovačić, Joško Gvardiol and Dominik Livaković represent the backbone of experience, while players such as Baturina and Musa bring freshness and directness in the final third. Still, experience alone will not be enough if Croatia do not impose the tempo and prevent Panama from taking the match into a physically exhausting rhythm.
Panama seek their first major world victory
Panama are appearing at the World Cup for the second time in history, after their debut in Russia in 2018. FIFA’s Panama squad list for 2026 confirms that head coach Thomas Christiansen brought 26 players to North America, including goalkeepers Luis Mejía, César Samudio and Orlando Mosquera, as well as experienced defensive and midfield players such as Fidel Escobar, Amir Murillo, Aníbal Godoy and Adalberto Carrasquilla. Panamanian outlet TVN highlighted before the tournament that the team qualified for Group L after a stable qualifying campaign in CONCACAF and that in the final stage of qualifying they confirmed their return to the world stage with a victory against El Salvador in Panama City. In the broader context, this is a national team that wants to surpass the impression from 2018, when it finished the group without points but gained important experience of playing on the biggest stage. That is why Mosquera’s statement about the desire to write history is not a rhetorical phrase, but a reflection of a real goal: Panama are seeking a result that would change the perception of their role in the group.
The particular feature of Panama’s situation is that the team are not expected to dominate possession, but to be maximally efficient in the moments when they win space. Against Croatia, the defence will have to withstand periods of pressure, especially if the Croatian midfield finds rhythm through Modrić, Kovačić or other playmakers. At the same time, Panama will have to play out of pressure with enough quality so that they do not remain too deep in front of their own penalty area. If Mosquera Mejía has a large number of interventions, that may mean Panama are under too much strain, but also that Croatian attacks are running into a well-positioned block. In such matches, the goalkeeper often becomes one of the key actors, not only through saves but also by calming the game, communicating with the defence and launching the first pass after the ball has been won.
Group L leaves room for a turnaround
Group L after the first round has a clear hierarchy, but it is not yet closed. England took the leading position with their victory against Croatia thanks to a better goal difference, while Ghana made an important step toward the knockout phase with their win over Panama. Panama and Croatia have no points for now, but the difference between them is not large: Panama lost by one goal, Croatia by two, so their mutual meeting will also have value in possible later comparisons of third-placed national teams. FIFA’s system for the 2026 World Cup provides for the progression of the two best national teams from each of the 12 groups and the eight best third-placed teams, which means that even third place can be enough. That is precisely why every goal difference, every yellow card in the disciplinary criterion and every goal become part of a broader calculation.
For Panama, a point against Croatia would keep hope alive, but a victory would completely change the dynamic of the group. In that case, Thomas Christiansen’s team would enter the final round against England with a realistic chance of joining at least the fight for one of the best third-place spots. Croatia, meanwhile, can regain control over their own destiny with a victory and in the final duel against Ghana seek a direct path toward the knockout phase. A draw would keep both national teams alive, but would strongly tie them to the outcome of other matches and the table of third-placed teams. That is why the duel in Toronto cannot be reduced only to a meeting of favourites and outsiders; it is a match in which pressure, experience and the opportunity for a historic step forward intersect.
Mosquera’s message as a signal to the dressing room
Orlando Mosquera Mejía’s statement that Panama want to play a big match against Croatia fits into the broader pattern by which coaches and players try to stabilise the atmosphere after a painful defeat. Such messages are not without significance, especially in a short tournament format in which there is not much time for deep changes between two matches. Panama must find a balance between caution and ambition: a game that is too open could give Croatia space for their technical quality, while excessive retreat would increase the number of situations in which the defence will be exposed to crosses, shots from the second line and set pieces. Mosquera’s role in that context goes beyond the classic goalkeeping job because his leadership from the back line will be important for maintaining concentration. If Panama want to survive periods of Croatian pressure, they will have to be precise in communication and disciplined in the distances between the defensive lines.
Croatia, on the other hand, will try to avoid the nervousness that often accompanies favourites when early dominance does not bring a goal. After conceding four goals against England, it will also be important how Dalić’s team react without the ball, especially at the moment of losing possession. Panama do not have the depth of the big European national teams, but they have enough speed, endurance and tournament motivation to punish poor positioning. If Croatia take an early lead, the match could open in the direction of possession control and a gradual search for a second goal. If Panama withstand the initial pressure or score first, the encounter could enter a zone in which psychological pressure becomes just as important as individual quality.
Toronto as the place of the second attempt
Toronto Stadium, that is BMO Field in the international context, already hosted Panama’s opener against Ghana, so Panama will seek to improve the impression in the same city. FIFA states in its preview of the Panama – Croatia match that it is a Group L meeting at the stadium in Toronto, which means the Panamanian national team will not have to change surroundings between their first and second appearance. That detail does not guarantee a sporting advantage, but it can help with logistics, preparation rhythm and adaptation to the conditions. Croatia, who played their first match in Dallas, arrive in Canada with a different travel rhythm and the need to adjust their plan in a short time. In a tournament played across three countries and over great distances, such details can have a certain practical value, although performance on the pitch will decide.
For neutral observers, the duel between Panama and Croatia brings an interesting contrast. On one side stands a national team with one of the most stable world tournament identities of the last decade, accustomed to high-pressure matches and to comebacks after difficult moments. On the other side is Panama, a national team that wants to cross the boundary between proud participant and genuine candidate to advance from the group. Mosquera Mejía has clearly stated with his public appearance that Panama do not want to be satisfied with the role of a team that merely offers resistance. Croatia, however, are seeking points in Toronto without which their path toward the knockout phase would become seriously complicated. That is precisely why the match on June 23 carries weight beyond the second round: for one national team it is an opportunity for the greatest result of a generation, and for the other a necessary step in preserving ambitions at the tournament.
Sources:
- FIFA – official schedule of the Panama – Croatia match in Group L of the 2026 World Cup (link)
- FIFA – report and summary of the Ghana – Panama 1-0 match, including Caleb Yirenkyi’s goal in the 95th minute (link)
- FIFA – report of the England – Croatia 4-2 match in the first round of Group L (link)
- FIFA – official Panama squad list for the 2026 World Cup (link)
- FIFA – explanation of the group format and progression to the knockout phase at the 2026 World Cup (link)
- TVN Panamá – overview of Group L, Panama’s qualifying path and match schedule (link)