Panama

Panama

The Panama national football team, nicknamed Los Canaleros, is governed by the Federacion Panamena de Futbol and competes in CONCACAF. Panama's greatest achievement came in 2018 when they made their historic debut at the FIFA World Cup in Russia, becoming the first Panamanian side to reach the tournament. Though they were eliminated in the group stage, the achievement was celebrated nationally. Panama had previously won the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 1951 and has been a regular competitor in recent Gold Cup editions. Roman Torres' dramatic qualifier goal against Costa Rica in 2017 secured their World Cup berth. The team plays home matches at Estadio Rommel Fernandez in Panama City. Players like Luis Tejada, Blas Perez, and Adolfo Machado were among the generation's key figures.