Panama head coach Thomas Christiansen says he is looking forward to testing his team against England, Croatia, and Ghana at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Central American side secured their second-ever appearance at the global tournament and have been drawn into Group H, with matches set to take place across Canada, Mexico, and the USA.
Christiansen, Panama’s longest-serving coach, expressed confidence that his squad can compete with some of the world’s top teams, drawing on experience from past international challenges.
“I’m trying to look at it as an ‘interesting’ group,” Christiansen said with a laugh in an interview with FIFA. “Over the last five years, we’ve held our own against the big boys. We’re no longer outclassed by teams like Canada, Mexico, or the USA.”
He acknowledged that Panama has yet to beat Mexico under his tenure but stressed that victories over the USA show the team’s potential. “We want to replicate that success against Ghana, Croatia, and England. They’re tricky opponents, but we want to go toe-to-toe and put Panama on the map. Scoring just a consolation goal should no longer be the benchmark for celebration. It’s time for us to raise our game and make our fans proud.”
Panama will open their World Cup campaign against Ghana, before taking on Croatia and England in subsequent group matches.