Panama has named a 26-player squad for their second FIFA World Cup finals appearance, scheduled from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The team qualified after defeating El Salvador in the qualifying rounds, securing their spot in the tournament for the second time in history [1, 2].
Coach Thomas Christiansen announced the squad on May 26, 2026, including captain Anibal Godoy and midfielder Adalberto Carrasquilla. Carrasquilla was included despite suffering an injury on May 24 during the Liga MX final defeat to Cruz Azul [1, 2]. Christiansen emphasized the importance of backing his players, saying, "We need to support the 26 players chosen for this World Cup. It is a source of pride to represent this national team" [1].
Veteran forward Alberto Quintero returns to the squad after missing the 2018 World Cup due to injury. A notable omission is Botafogo midfielder Kadir Barria, who did not make the final cut [1, 2].
Panama is preparing with warm-up matches against Brazil, the Dominican Republic, and Bosnia and Herzegovina ahead of the tournament [1, 2]. The team will establish their base camp in New Tecumseth, Ontario, Canada. Panama’s first World Cup match is set for June 17 against Ghana in Group L, followed by matches against England and Croatia [1, 2].
Christiansen expressed ambition for the tournament, stating, "We want to make history, we want to do something beautiful and improve on what we did before." Panama aims to improve on their 2018 debut, when they exited in the group stage without earning any points [1].