Panama World Cup 2026 Squad: Final 26-Player List

Alberto Quintero was packed for Russia when a fractured foot ended his 2018 World Cup dream. On June 6, 2018, days before Panama’s opening match, the winger suffered the injury in a friendly against Norway and was replaced.

No appearance. No medal. Just eight years of waiting. Coach Thomas Christiansen named him in the Panama World Cup 2026 Squad on May 26, and this time, nothing stopped him making the plane.

Los Canaleros qualified from CONCACAF without losing a single match across 10 games, winning 7 and drawing 3. Panama topped Group A in the final qualifying round to book their place at a second World Cup in history. Group L puts them alongside England, Croatia, and Ghana.

Panama Quick Facts:

• Country: Republic of Panama
• Confederation: CONCACAF
• Nickname: Los Canaleros
• Head Coach: Thomas Christiansen
• Captain: Aníbal Godoy
• Group: Group L
• Group Opponents: England, Croatia, Ghana
• First Match: June 17 vs Ghana, Toronto Stadium, 7:00 PM ET
• Last Group Match: June 27 vs England, New York New Jersey Stadium, 5:00 PM ET
• World Cup Appearance: Second (first in 2018)
• Kit Manufacturer: Reebok

Panama World Cup 2026 Squad List

Goalkeepers

• Orlando Mosquera, 31, Al-Fayha (Saudi Arabia)
• Luis Mejía, 35, Club Nacional (Uruguay)
• César Samudio, 32, CD Marathón (Honduras)

Defenders

• César Blackman, 28, Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia)
• Jorge Gutiérrez, 27, Deportivo La Guaira (Venezuela)
• Michael Amir Murillo, 30, Beşiktaş (Turkey)
• Fidel Escobar, 31, Saprissa (Costa Rica)
• Andrés Andrade, 27, LASK (Austria)
• Edgardo Fariña, 24, Pari Nizhniy Novgorod (Russia)
• José Córdoba, 24, Norwich City (England)
• Éric Davis, 35, CD Plaza Amador (Panama)
• Jiovany Ramos, 29, Academia Puerto Cabello (Venezuela)
• Roderick Miller, 34, Turan Tovuz (Azerbaijan)

Midfielders

• Aníbal Godoy (C), 36, San Diego FC (United States)
• Adalberto Carrasquilla, 27, Pumas UNAM (Mexico)
• Carlos Harvey, 26, Minnesota United (United States)
• Cristian Martínez, 29, Ironi Kiryat Shmona (Israel)
• José Luis Rodríguez, 27, FC Juárez (Mexico)
• César Yanis, 30, Cobresal (Chile)
• Yoel Bárcenas, 32, Mazatlán FC (Mexico)
• Alberto Quintero, 38, CD Plaza Amador (Panama)
• Azarías Londoño, 24, Universidad Católica (Chile)

Forwards

• Ismael Díaz, 29, Club León (Mexico)
• Cecilio Waterman, 35, Universidad de Concepción (Chile)
• José Fajardo, 32, Universidad Católica (Ecuador)
• Tomás Rodríguez, 27, Saprissa (Costa Rica)

Alberto Quintero at 38 is the oldest. Edgardo Fariña, José Córdoba, and Azarías Londoño are all 24. Over half the squad is 30 or older, making this one of the more experienced CONCACAF rosters in the tournament. Aníbal Godoy and Éric Davis have each surpassed 100 caps for Panama.

Liga MX supplies the largest share of players with four: Carrasquilla, Rodríguez, Bárcenas, and Díaz. Fajardo is at Universidad Católica in Ecuador. MLS provides Godoy and Harvey. Only Davis and Quintero are based domestically. The rest are spread across South America, Europe, and the Middle East.

Fixtures

Panama play all three group stage matches across Canada and the United States. Local kick-off times are listed in both Eastern Time (ET) for North American host venues and Panama Time (PT) for fans watching from home. Panama doesn’t observe daylight saving time, so PT runs one hour behind ET throughout June.

Date	Match	Venue	Time (ET)	Time (PT)
June 17, 2026	Ghana vs Panama	Toronto Stadium, Toronto	7:00 PM	6:00 PM
June 23, 2026	Panama vs Croatia	Toronto Stadium, Toronto	7:00 PM	6:00 PM
June 27, 2026	Panama vs England	New York New Jersey Stadium, East Rutherford	5:00 PM	4:00 PM

The top two teams from Group L advance to the Round of 32. The EIGHT best third-placed teams also progress. Panama doesn’t need to finish top two to keep their knockout hopes alive heading into the final match against England.

Ghana is Panama’s most realistic route to three points. Two Toronto matches first, one in New Jersey last. The draw works well for Panama. They get the most winnable game right at the start.

Manager: Thomas Christiansen

Thomas Christiansen was born in Hadsund, Denmark, on March 11, 1973. The 53-year-old holds both Danish and Spanish identities, and Panama appointed him on July 23, 2020. This World Cup is his first as an international manager.

As a player, Christiansen spent the early 1990s at Barcelona before moving across Spain, Greece, Denmark, and Germany. He earned two caps for Spain in 1993 despite being born in Denmark. His best individual season came at Bochum in 2002-03, when he finished as the Bundesliga’s top scorer.

Coaching took him through Cyprus with AEK Larnaca and APOEL Nicosia, then to Leeds United and Union Saint-Gilloise with mixed results. None of those stints gave him the consistency he found in Central America. Panama’s qualifying campaign is the best work of his career.

He sets up in a 4-2-3-1 that prioritises defensive shape and compact pressing triggers. The system kept opposition attackers quiet across ten qualifying matches, conceding just 5 goals total. If Carrasquilla and Godoy control the midfield, it’s a system that can frustrate far stronger teams.

Star Player: Aníbal Godoy

Aníbal Godoy, 36, is a defensive midfielder with San Diego FC. He was born on February 10, 1990, in Panama City, and captains the national team. At 159 caps, he’s the most capped player in Panamanian football history.

Godoy spent five years at San Jose Earthquakes and five more at Nashville before San Diego FC signed him in December 2024. He made over 100 MLS appearances with each of those clubs. Consistent and composed at the base of midfield, he’s been Panama’s most important player for the better part of a decade.

He played all three group stage matches at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Eight years later, he’ll lead the side out again in North America. Godoy has spoken openly about retirement. This World Cup is almost certainly his last.

In the qualifying campaign, he brought the structure that let Panama attack without losing defensive shape. Christiansen builds the whole setup around his presence. At 36, Godoy doesn’t chase anymore, but his positioning and decision-making remain as sharp as ever.

Key Players to Watch

Edgardo Fariña

Edgardo Fariña is 24 and one of the youngest players in the squad. Born October 19, 2001, he plays as a centre-back for Pari Nizhniy Novgorod in Russia’s Premier League. He’s accumulated senior caps under Christiansen and earned his spot through performances in physically demanding club football.

He’ll be needed if Panama are to keep England and Croatia from running riot. The Russian league’s intensity is solid preparation. Fariña represents the next generation of Panamanian defenders, and a strong tournament could change what comes next for his club career.

Éric Davis

Éric Davis is 35 and one of Panama’s most experienced outfield players. He plays for CD Plaza Amador in Panama City, making him one of only two squad members based domestically. Davis has more than 100 caps for Panama and brings knowledge of what a World Cup group stage actually demands.

He played all three matches in Russia 2018 and hasn’t stopped being called up since. At 35, he’s no longer the player who dominates physically, but he reads the game well. Christiansen uses that experience. Young defenders like Fariña won’t figure things out alone.

Adalberto Carrasquilla

Adalberto Carrasquilla, known as Coco, is 27 and plays for Pumas UNAM in Liga MX. Born November 28, 1998, he’s the midfielder who sets the tempo. He links the defensive block to the attack, recycles possession under pressure, and gets forward when Panama break.

He won’t score the goals that define Panama’s tournament. He’ll be the reason Panama can still hold their shape in the 70th minute against Croatia. He picked up a minor groin issue during the Liga MX final in late May 2026 and his fitness is being monitored ahead of June 17. If Carrasquilla starts against Ghana, Panama look like a different team.

Qualification Path & World Cup History

Panama dominated the CONCACAF second round, winning all four matches without conceding more than once. They beat Guyana 2-0, Montserrat 3-1, Belize 2-0, and Nicaragua 3-0, advancing to the final qualifying round with 10 goals scored and 1 conceded across the group.

The final round placed Panama in Group A against El Salvador, Guatemala, and Suriname. They went W3 D3 L0, securing qualification with a 3-0 home win over El Salvador on November 18, 2025. The full CONCACAF qualifying record stands at P10, W7, D3, L0, GF 19, GA 5.

Panama’s only previous World Cup came at Russia 2018. It was the country’s first appearance after 10 failed qualification campaigns. Group G pitched them against Belgium, England, and Tunisia. Three defeats followed: 0-3 to Belgium, 1-6 to England, and 1-2 to Tunisia.

The tournament gave Panama one permanent record. At 6-0 down against England, Felipe Baloy scored from a Ricardo Avila free kick in the 78th minute. Panama’s first-ever World Cup goal. A Yassine Meriah own goal against Tunisia added a second. Final tally: P3 W0 D0 L3, GF 2, GA 11.

What to Expect & Our Prediction

Christiansen’s 4-2-3-1 keeps a compact defensive block with Godoy and Carrasquilla screening the back four. Up front, Ismael Díaz and Cecilio Waterman provide pace on the counter. The system suits a side ranked 33rd: hard to break down, patient out of possession, dangerous when the press is beaten.

The clearest weakness is holding possession for sustained periods. England and Croatia will pin Panama back in their own half. The challenge is staying disciplined long enough for the transition moments where Harvey and Waterman can do real damage. If Panama concede early, the whole shape changes.

Ghana on June 17 is the priority. Panama are ranked 33rd; Ghana are 74th. Ghana haven’t reached a World Cup knockout round since 2010. Panama are unbeaten in ten qualifiers. This is Panama’s game to win. Against Croatia on June 23, a draw is the realistic aim. England on June 27 is the toughest test, a rematch of the 6-1 defeat from Russia 2018.

Panama are likely to win against Ghana, pick up at least a point against Croatia, and push England harder than they did eight years ago. Three to four points from the group stage would be a real achievement. As one of the EIGHT best third-placed teams, they’d stand a genuine chance of reaching the Round of 32. This squad is better than 2018. It shows.

Panama World Cup 2026 Squad FAQs

This Panama World Cup 2026 Squad is built on experience, defensive organisation, and a coach who got every last drop from the qualifying campaign. A win over Ghana and a point against Croatia puts the Round of 32 firmly within reach.

For a squad that went unbeaten through CONCACAF, nothing about this group feels like a formality.