Sporting San Miguelito got off to a flying start in the 2026 Clausura tournament of the Panamanian Football League (LPF), defeating the Plaza Amador team, the current champions, 3-0. Joel Barría opened the scoring for the academics in the 18th minute with a long pass from Marlon Ávila on a counterattack, beating the Plaza Amador defense and goalkeeper Samuel Castañeda. The second goal came in the 42nd minute when the Plaza Amador defense made a poor clearance, allowing Adrián Bethancourt to score. Moisés Richards scored the third and decisive goal in the 80th minute. In another result, newly promoted LPF team Unión Coclé debuted with a 1-1 draw against San Francisco FC. Byron Walters scored for San Francisco in the 89th minute, and David Hunt equalized in the 90+4th minute. Additionally, Club Atlético Independiente de La Chorrera (CAI) defeated Herrera 4-0, and Club Deportivo Universitario beat Veraguas United 2-1.
