Panama eliminated from World Cup after loss to Croatia

Panama’s World Cup run ended at Toronto Stadium after Croatia beat the Canaleros and left them at the bottom of Group L with no points. The result closed Panama’s second appearance at the tournament, but it also highlighted how far the program has come since its debut in Russia 2018.

FIFA put Panama in a demanding Group L with England, Croatia and Ghana, and identified Aníbal Godoy as the captain and Thomas Christiansen as the coach. Concacaf described the match against Ghana as the opening of Panama’s second World Cup appearance, a return that mattered after the country’s first trip to the tournament in 2018. The 2026 World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19 and is the first edition with 48 teams and three host countries.

Croatia brought a clear tournament pedigree into the match in Toronto. FIFA noted that the Europeans finished second in Russia 2018 and third in Qatar 2022, a record that gave added weight to Panama’s elimination at their hands. The meeting was scheduled for June 23 at Toronto Stadium, and it became the game that shut Panama’s route through the group.

Panama’s place in this World Cup still carried history. FIFA recalled that Felipe Baloy scored Panama’s first goal in a World Cup in 2018, a breakthrough that turned the country’s first qualification into a lasting landmark. This year’s return showed that the achievement in Russia was not a one-off, and the team’s presence in 2026 reflected a program that has managed to qualify again on merit.

The numbers, though, were unforgiving. Panama finished the group stage without a point, while Croatia stood on three points and edged closer to the knockout round. For Panama, the campaign read as both progress and a warning: the country has become a repeat World Cup participant, but it still faces a steep gap against established sides like Croatia when the margins get tight.