The Panama World Cup 2026 squad is coming together.
Panama qualified for World Cup 2026, their second-ever, eight years after their first – and it was an emphatic campaign under Danish head coach Thomas Christiansen.
Los Canaleros lost all three group stage matches in their debut World Cup in 2018, losing to Belgium, England and Tunisia but scoring their first two World Cup goals in the process.
Notwithstanding a penalty shoot-out defeat against Honduras at the Gold Cup, Panama were unbeaten in their last 12 matches of 2025, all of them competitive.
Christiansen’s last squad of the year was bursting with experience, featuring no fewer than three international centurions. Alberto Quintero ended 2025 with 140 caps and captain Anibal Godoy has represented Panama more than 150 times.
Quintero and fellow 100-cap man Eric Davis were the only members of that squad who play in Panama. The national team squad is typically made up of players spread around the Americas and the Spanish-speaking world. Recent exceptions include LASK defender Andres Andrade, Marseille’s Amir Murillo and Jose Cordoba of Norwich City.
Squad
Panama World Cup 2026 squad: the November selection
- GK: Luis Mejia (Nacional)
- GK: Cesar Samudio (Marathon)
- GK: Orlando Mosquera (Al-Fayha)
- DF: Cesar Blackman (Slovan Bratislava)
- DF: Ivan Anderson (Marathon)
- DF: Fidel Escobar (Saprissa)
- DF: Edgardo Farina (Pari Nizhny Novgorod)
- DF: Carlos Harvey (Minnesota United)
- DF: Eric Davis (Plaza Amador)
- DF: Andres Andrade (LASK)
- DF: Jorge Gutierrez (Deportivo La Guaira)
- DF: Jiovany Ramos (Puerto Cabello)
- MF: Cristian Martinez (Ironi Kiryat Shmona)
- MF: Jose Rodriguez (Juarez)
- MF: Adalberto Carrasquilla (UNAM)
- MF: Ismael Diaz (Leon)
- MF: Azarias Londono (Universidad Catolica)
- MF: Edward Cedeno (Las Palmas)
- MF: Alberto Quintero (Plaza Amador)
- MF: Anibal Godoy (San Diego)
- MF: Omar Browne (Estudiantes de Merida)
- MF: Jovani Welch (Monagas)
- FW: Tomas Rodriguez (Monagas)
- FW: Jose Fajardo (Universidad Catolica)
- FW: Cecilio Waterman (Coquimbo Unido)
Fixtures and results
November 18: Panama 3-0 El Salvador, Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama
November 13: Guatemala 2-3 Panama, Estadio Manuel Felipe Carrera, Guatemala City, Guatemala
October 14: Panama 1-1 Suriname, Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama
October 10: El Salvador 0-1 Panama, Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador
September 8: Panama 1-1 Guatemala, Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama
September 4: Suriname 0-0 Panama, Franklin Essed Stadion, Paramaribo, Suriname
June 28: Panama 1-1 Honduras (Honduras wins 5-4 on penalties), State Farm Stadium, Glendale, United States
June 24: Panama 4-1 Jamaica, Q2 Stadium, Austin, United States
June 20: Guatemala 0-1 Panama, Q2 Stadium, Austin, United States
June 16: Panama 5-2 Guadeloupe, Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, United States
June 10: Panama 3-0 Nicaragua, Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama
June 7: Belize 0-2 Panama, FFB Field, Belmopan, Belize
March 23: Mexico 2-1 Panama, SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, United States
March 20: United States 0-1 Panama, SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, United States
February 8: Chile 6-1 Panama, Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos, Santiago, Chile
January 24: Universitario Peru 2-1 Panama, Estadio Monumental, Lima, Peru
Manager
Who is Panama's manager?
Thomas Christiansen spent the first half of the nineties as a Barcelona player before moving around Spain and eventually playing in Greece, Denmark and Germany. His own international career comprised two caps in 1993 not for Denmark, but for Spain.
The Panama job is his first in international management. After cutting his teeth in Cyprus with AEK Larnaca and APOEL Nicosia, Christiansen had spells in charge of Leeds and Union Saint-Gilloise with limited success.
Panama, though, have gradually progressed on Christiansen’s watch. They should go into the World Cup in positive spirits helmed by the head coach with more internationals under his belt than any other in the federation’s history.
Star player
Who is Panama's star player?
With more than 150 caps to his name, Anibal Godoy is Panama’s record appearance maker and Christiansen’s captain. The veteran midfielder has played the majority of his career in the United States, where he featured regularly in San Diego’s inaugural 2025 season.
Godoy played more than 100 times in Major League Soccer for each of San Jose Earthquakes and Nashville, spending five years with both clubs before the Tennessee outfit released him in 2024.
A tenacious and often stylish defensive midfielder, Godoy has spoken openly about a possible retirement. One last big hurrah in a nation where he is now a citizen would be a fine way to bow out.
Best XI
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