Panama National Team at the 2026 World Cup: Chances and Expectations

The PEC, competition training plan, will be decisive to see if we can scrape one of those eight best third places. The bet, and this is paraphrased, is that if Panama beats Ghana, we advance. We understand that many people, even 'I can't call them fans,' are willing to pay for these travel packages that range from $4,500 to up to $8,000 to accompany the national team. Of course, without disrespect, in a high percentage, those who sign up for these expeditions are not frequent fans of the LPF every week, they are occasional and motivated by living the moment. Here we must aim to grow, for this World Cup to help us overcome barriers in our fragile local league. So much anguish? Why? Destiny, from pot 3, sent us to the last group, group L, with two high-level European teams: England (4th in the FIFA ranking) and Croatia, added to an African one, the always aggressive and dangerous Ghana. It is clear, my football family, that the question that precedes the formal greeting is: How will we do in this group? It is true, no match has a result before it is played, but in football, as in life itself, there are levels. England, the fathers of football, with only one title, world champions in 1966, at home, count on: Harry Kane, a shining star from Bayern Munich; add Jude Bellingham, the crack from Real Madrid; and what to say about Cole Palmer, the spark plug from Chelsea. Just these three surpass the total value of our criollo team, which, according to Transfermarkt, is valued at a paltry sum of $40 million. Croatia, in the last two World Cups, has made it to the honors; in Russia 2018, they played the final, and even at 40, Luka Modric, now at AC Milan, is still able to perform. Along with Ivan Perisic (PSV Eindhoven) and Mateo Kovacic (Manchester United), it denotes their power. There are the 'war drums'; the Ghanaians, with Jordan Ayew (Leicester City) and Iñaki Williams (Athletic Bilbao), are not a complicated team that never gives up. What is our part? To prepare well. If we have been invited to a formal party, we cannot arrive in flip-flops and shorts.