Panama

Panama, Los Canaleros, have risen from CONCACAF minnows to genuine regional contenders, driven by a passionate, drum-beating fanbase and a hardworking, organized style. Football has become a unifying national obsession in the canal nation.

Panama reached their first-ever World Cup in 2018, a moment so significant the government declared a national holiday. They lost all three matches in Russia, but veteran Felipe Baloy scored the country's first-ever World Cup goal against England. Los Canaleros booked a return trip by topping their CONCACAF group for the 2026 finals, their second appearance, where they hope to record a maiden World Cup victory.