Making their debut, Panama arrives as an underdog at the World Cup in Russia.
With a surprising performance in the qualifiers and a helping hand from the football gods to secure their place in the World Cup in Russia, Panama is experiencing the thrill of participating in a World Cup for the first time.
Raphael Costa (Agência do Rádio Mais) - The butterflies in the stomach and the excitement of those who are about to experience the thrill of participating in a World Cup for the first time. This is the feeling that must be present in the team and the population of Panama, a country located in Central America. With a history of very little tradition on the world football stage, the Panamanian national team is considered one of the main underdogs of the tournament.
With a population of just over four million, Panama borders countries such as Costa Rica and Colombia, and is located in a strategic point for local logistics.
Within the four lines of the pitch, Panama's history doesn't have many pages to tell. In the Gold Cup, a tournament that brings together national teams from Central and North America, the team has participated nine times. In two of those appearances, the Panamanians stood out.
In the 2005 and 2013 editions, Panama was a finalist in the competition, but lost to the United States on both occasions.
Panama's performance in the qualifiers for the World Cup in Russia was surprising, and their qualification came with a bit of luck. In the last round, they beat Costa Rica, but the victory alone wasn't enough.
That's when the football gods intervened, causing Trinidad and Tobago, bottom of the Central and North American qualifiers, to unexpectedly beat the United States. The Americans' stumble secured Panama's qualification. In their campaign that resulted in this unprecedented spot, they had three wins, four draws, and three losses.
Despite having a squad full of players unknown on the world stage, Panama relies on teamwork. Most of the players on the team have been playing for the national team for a long time. This is the case of striker Gabriel Torres, 29, who plays for Huachipato in Chile, but has also played for teams in South and Central America. Torres has been playing for the national team since 2005 and has 14 goals in 71 matches.
Being one of the least prestigious teams in the entire tournament, Panama is not expected to achieve great results in Group G, which also includes Belgium, England, and Tunisia. The spots in the Round of 16 are likely to go to the European teams, but precisely because they are not playing under the same intense pressure as the big national teams, surprises are possible.
Finishing the group stage in third place can be considered a good result for a team that doesn't have high prospects in the World Cup. Panama's first game will be on June 18th at noon against Belgium.