Panama qualifies for the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Panama defeated El Salvador 3-0 on Tuesday to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the Rommel Fernández Gutiérrez Stadium in Panama.

Cesar Blackman opened the scoring in the 17th minute, while Eric Davies doubled the lead from the spot in second-half stoppage time. Jose Rodriguez scored the third as Panama put in a dominant performance on home soil.

It will be Panama’s second appearance at the World Cup, the only other time being in Russia in 2018. The country then finished bottom of the group, losing all three matches.

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However, in the World Cup qualifiers, Panama finished as the best team in Group A with 12 points.

The victory over El Salvador ended Suriname’s hopes of automatic qualification. Suriname, which was defeated 3-1 by Guatemala, still managed to get through to the play-off places.

Published on November 19, 2025