Panama
Today's Talking Points
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1Panama's tournament ended the way it started — a defeat, this time 2-0 to England on June 27. They lost all three group games, to Ghana, Croatia and England, without scoring a single goal, becoming the first side to go through a whole World Cup without a goal in 16 years.
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2It reads brutally on paper, but Group L was one of the toughest draws going — England finished top, and both Croatia and Ghana went through as well. Panama were competitive for long stretches without ever getting the finishing touch that would have changed the story.
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3The defining moment of the group actually belonged to someone else: Harry Kane became England's all-time record World Cup goalscorer against Panama in that final game, passing Gary Lineker. History was made on the pitch that day — just not Panama's.
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4Adalberto Carrasquilla was Panama's best player throughout, a genuinely gifted midfielder who controls games from deep — the kind of player who makes a team's football look organised even when the scoreboard isn't cooperating.
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5Not every World Cup story gets a redemption arc. This one was a tough group and a quiet exit — but Panama were there, in the biggest tournament football has, and that's still more than most countries ever manage.
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Top thing to say down the pub
Panama didn't score a single goal in this whole World Cup — first team to manage that in 16 years — but they did share a group with the eventual group winners and two other qualifiers, so it wasn't for lack of a hard draw.
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Avoid saying
Don't laugh about the 'no goals' stat like it's a punchline — going three games without scoring against a group that strong is a tough way to end a tournament, and it's still an achievement to have been there in the first place.