Panama

Panama's national team has grown from a CONCACAF afterthought into a legitimate regional threat, capped by its emotional first-ever World Cup qualification in 2018. Los Canaleros play with high-energy, physical football that has made them a difficult out for the region's traditional powers. The program's rise reflects a broader surge in Panamanian football investment and youth development over the past fifteen years.

The Panamanian Football Federation was founded in 1937, but the national team spent most of the 20th century well outside CONCACAF's upper tier. The breakthrough came in 2017, when Panama qualified for its first-ever World Cup, sparking a national holiday to celebrate the achievement. Panama has never won the Gold Cup, though it has reached the semifinals and continues to push for its first major regional or global trophy.