Head coach Thomas Christiansen has welcomed the challenge awaiting Panama national football team after they were drawn alongside Ghana national football team, Croatia national football team, and England national football team in the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Panama secured qualification for the global tournament for only the second time in their history and will compete in Group L of the competition, which will be jointly hosted by United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Christiansen, the longest-serving manager in Panama’s history, acknowledged the difficulty of facing three strong footballing nations but believes his team has developed the confidence and experience needed to compete at the highest level.
Speaking in an interview with FIFA, the Danish-Spanish coach described the group as an exciting challenge rather than an intimidating one.
“I’m trying to look at it as an interesting group,” Christiansen said with a laugh. “Over the last five years, we’ve managed to hold our own against the big teams, and we’re no longer outclassed by sides like Canada national football team, Mexico national football team, and the United States men’s national soccer team.”
The Panama coach admitted his team has yet to defeat Mexico during his tenure but insisted the squad has shown it can compete with some of the strongest teams in the region.
“We’ve admittedly not beaten Mexico since I took charge, but we’re capable of getting the better of those teams. We’ve beaten the USA several times, and we’d like to repeat that kind of success against Ghana, Croatia and England,” he added.
Christiansen also stressed that Panama are determined to move beyond simply participating in the World Cup and instead aim to make a meaningful impact.
“We know they’re tough opponents, but we want to go toe to toe with them and show what Panama football is about. We want our fans to feel proud of the team. Scoring a consolation goal should no longer be something to celebrate — it’s time for us to raise our level.”
Panama are scheduled to begin their World Cup campaign against Ghana national football team before taking on Croatia and England in their remaining group fixtures.
