Panama

How they qualified

Los Canaleros (the Canal Men) qualified at the expense of fellow Central Americans Costa Rica who they have been battling with for qualification Panama clinched their spot with a 1-0 win over Costa Rica in San José. The Panamanians needed a draw or a win to qualify with Jose Fajardo’s solitary goal in the 77th minute proving to be sweet revenge for missing out on Qatar 2022 World Cup qualification to Costa Rica.

Tournament record

This is Panama’s first qualification for a Nations League finals.

Star player (s)

Right back Michael Murillo who plays his club football at Belgium’s Anderlecht has the ability to get forward and score. He has established himself as a starter in the Anderlecht team since joining in 2020 and has scored 10 times. He has scored six times for Panama. The MLS pair of Houston Dynamo’s Adalberto Carrasquilla and Anibal Godoy, who has been at the heart of Nashville’s progress in the MLS, will be Panama’s engine room. Up front there is still a reliance on the old warhorses of Jose Fajardo, Cecilio Waterman and Alberto Quintero, though Ismael Diaz will be the team’s big hope to open up Canada’s defence in the semi-final.

Manager

Thomas Christiansen Tarín has been manager of Panama since 2020 and is overseeing the team’s transition to a younger playing profile. A striker, he was the top scorer in the 2002-03 Bundesliga while with Bochum. Born in Denmark to a Spanish mother, he played his international football for Spain as an U21 and winning two full caps. His managerial career is just 10 years old and has included spells at Leeds United and Union Berlin before he took the Panama job.

What to expect

Panama are a team looking to transition and under Christiansen have maintained momentum since their qualification for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, however, they just missed out on 2022 qualification to Costa Rica and that hurt. This, and the upcoming Gold Cup, will likely be this team’s last chance for regional silverware.

Panama squad