Panama eliminated from World Cup after loss to Croatia

Panama left Toronto with one of its sharpest performances of the tournament and still nothing to show for it, a result that sealed its elimination from the World Cup. The Canaleros finished bottom of Group L without a point after their match against Croatia on June 23 at Toronto Stadium, closing out a campaign that was defined as much by missed margins as by visible growth.

Croatia arrived under pressure after a 4-2 opening loss to England, and the match carried added weight for Luka Modrić, who was making his 200th appearance for the national team. FIFA had highlighted Croatia’s recent tournament pedigree, including its run to the 2018 final and third place in 2022, before kickoff in Toronto. By the end of the group stage, Croatia stood third on three points and remained in position to move toward the round of 16.

Panama, by contrast, entered the final group match already cornered by a 1-0 defeat to Ghana on June 17. Caleb Yirenkyi’s goal in the 90+5 minute at Toronto had left Panama without room for error against Croatia, turning the final group game into a must-hold situation that the team could not extend into points.

The broader arc still matters. Panama reached the 2026 World Cup for only the second time in its history, after winning Group A in Concacaf qualifying and finishing the campaign with a 3-0 victory over El Salvador on the final matchday. That run sent Panama back to the tournament for the first time since Russia 2018, giving this squad a place in national football history before a ball was even kicked in Group L.

What changed in Toronto was the measure of that progress. Panama did not collapse under the scale of the occasion. It competed well enough to leave with the sense that its level has risen since previous cycles, even if the table did not reward it. The elimination now lands as a question of margins, not simply of ambition: Panama reached the World Cup by winning a difficult Concacaf group, but at the finals the team was still punished by one late goal against Ghana and one final defeat against a more experienced Croatia.