Today's Talking Points
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1Panama are in Group L with England, Croatia and Ghana — a tough group where they're the lowest ranked team, but they famously scored their first ever World Cup goal against England in 2018 (before losing 6–1, but still).
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2They're a disciplined, physically demanding team managed by Thomas Christiansen — a Danish manager who's built them into a side that's hard to beat even when clearly the underdogs.
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3Panama's qualification through CONCACAF is always hard-fought — they compete against the USA, Mexico and Costa Rica in a region where nothing is given, and every point they earn is properly contested.
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4Rolando Blackburn is their most dangerous forward — plays in Mexico's Liga MX and has the pace and directness to cause problems for higher-ranked defences on their day.
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5Panama football has grown enormously since their first World Cup appearance in 2018 — the league has professionalised, academies have been established, and the national team now has genuine expectations rather than just hope.
🍺 Top Thing To Say Down The Pub
Panama scored their first ever World Cup goal against England in 2018. They celebrated like they'd won the tournament. Then England scored five more. But still — they got their moment.
🚫 Avoid Saying
"Panama are just here for the experience" — they've now been to two World Cups, beat Costa Rica home and away in qualifying, and have a proper professional squad. The experience phase is over.