Danish coach Thomas Christiansen defined the 26 players who will represent Panamá in Copa of Mundo 2026. The call-up was announced this Tuesday (26) and marks final preparations for the tournament that starts in June. Kadir Barría, Botafogo’s attacker who was in the pre-selection, is not part of the team’s final list.
Destaque on the field and great expectations
Aníbal Godoy, a midfielder with a record presence in the Panama national team, is one of the main names in the squad. Adalberto Carrasquilla, from Pumas-MEX, appears as another offensive hope for the team. Ambos carry significant responsibility in midfield battles and creating scoring opportunities.
Panamá is inserted into Grupo L of Copa of Mundo alongside Gana, Inglaterra and Croácia. The country makes its second participation in Mundiais, remembering the 2018 edition of Rússia.
Agenda debut and preparation
The first match will be on June 17th against Gana, on Toronto, on Canadá, at 8pm. Antes In addition, Panamá will hold preparatory friendlies: Brasil (at Maracanã), República Dominicana (June 3) and Bósnia (June 6, on American soil).
The 26 called up
Goleiros:
- Orlando Mosquera
- Luis Mejía
- César Samudio
Defensores:
- César Blackman
- Jorge Gutiérrez
- Amir Murillo
- Fidel Escobar
- Andrés Andrade
- Edgardo Fariña
- José Córdoba
- Eric David
- Jiovany Ramos
- Roderick Miller
Meio-campers:
- Aníbal Godoy
- Adalberto Carrasquilla
- Carlos Harvey
- Cristian Martínez
- José Luis Rodríguez
- César Yanis
- Yoel Bárcenas
- Alberto Quintero
- Azarías Londoño
Atacantes:
- Ismael Díaz
- Cecilio Waterman
- José Fajardo
- Tomás Rodríguez
Contexto and history
Panamá returns to the world stage after 8 years. In the previous participation, in 2018, the English team was also in the bracket. Agora, the challenge is greater in a very competitive Grupo L that includes two consolidated European powers.
Tests against Brasil, República Dominicana and Bósnia function as tactical and physical adjustments before the official commitment. Thomas Christiansen seeks to get the team ready for the first 90 minutes against Gana, which will be an important barometer of the team’s potential to advance in the group stage.