The entire country is wrapped in anguish, healthy and full of emotion, waiting to learn what our destiny will be in the draw for the 2026 World Cup. We must be patient, as first the balls from Pot 1, containing the so-called powerhouses Argentina, Spain, Germany, and Brazil, will be drawn, followed by Pot 2, and only then will our country's fate be decided from Pot 3. Beyond whether our destiny is to be drawn against a superlative team, it's important to see this from another perspective: an event that captivates the globe, uniting the entire world through a single football. And we will have to wait; today our rivals from the groups of 4 (12 groups of 4 countries each) will be revealed for the first time, bringing the record number of participating nations to 48. And among the cold and hot balls that will determine our opponents, we will have to wait until this Saturday to learn the day, stadium, and city. For the first time, this will happen as requested by the USA, the kings of marketing, who will place the matches in cities with large populations. This might interest you: The men's futsal team missed out on gold at the Bolivarian Games December 04, 2025 Olmo is out for a month with a shoulder dislocation December 04, 2025 The FPF delegation is already in the US for the 2026 World Cup draw December 04, 2025 Panamanian Martín Krug makes his debut with Levante in the Copa del Rey December 04, 2025 Legends from other sports will attend Rio Ferdinand at the draw December 04, 2025 Taking this premise into account, the equation would be that Panama would have at least one first-round match in New Jersey, New York state. It is known that Panamanians do not mass emigrate; the socio-economic conditions are quite stable, underpinned by a sustained democracy. It is also known that in Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Manhattan there are more than 60,000 nationals, and across the entire American union, the figure reaches more than 100,000 between natives and descendants, a figure provided by José Miguel Alemán, the Ambassador in Washington. The waiting time is over; the truth is, instead of filling ourselves with anxiety and haste, we must enjoy the moment. We are the only country from Central America that will be at this gala, and by right of conquest. The same has been marked by Thomas Christiansen, just as the players have; regardless of the rivals, we must prepare well and improve on our only World Cup appearance, where we finished last. In this edition, the distribution of the pots was made according to the blessed FIFA ranking; everything is set up so that the favorites, Spain (1st in the ranking) and Argentina (2nd in the ranking), do not face each other until the final. In Russia, we were drawn with England, Belgium, and Tunisia (1-2), with all unfavorable results and with the only historical goal from Felipe 'Pipe' Baloy, which was celebrated with great fervor. If you ask me, my group, speculating on fortune, would be Portugal, Uruguay, Panama, and Ghana. Far from whatever may happen by fate, our name, Panama, will be present at the Kennedy Center and will resonate throughout the world. Let's enjoy the moment... enjoy it, country...
