Christiansen says Panama deserved more against Ghana, eyes Croatia test
Panama held Ghana until the 90+5 minute before Caleb Yirenkyi struck, leaving Thomas Christiansen to call for cleaner execution before Croatia.
Panama left Toronto with a familiar mix of promise and pain after Ghana scored in the 90+5 minute to win 1-0 in the opening match of Group L at the 2026 World Cup. Thomas Christiansen said Panama had done enough to merit a result and praised the team’s personality, but the late defeat turned a credible performance into an empty one.
The reality check was stark. Panama stayed in the game against Ghana for almost the entire night at the Estadio de Toronto, only to concede to Caleb Yirenkyi deep into stoppage time on June 17, 2026. For a side trying to establish itself in only its second World Cup, the difference between encouraging signs and a result on the board came down to the kind of late lapse that punishes teams at this level.
Christiansen’s message after the loss was less about despair than correction. Panama now have to recover quickly and tighten the details before facing Croatia on June 23, 2026, also in Toronto. That meeting arrives with Group L still wide open on paper, with England, Croatia, Ghana and Panama all drawn together, but Panama’s margin for error has already shrunk.
The squad that Christiansen brought to Canada was announced by FEPAFUT on May 26, 2026 and included 26 players, 24 from foreign leagues and two from the Liga Panameña de Fútbol. FIFA noted that the roster retained many of the same faces that were in Russia 2018, a reminder that Panama are leaning on experience as much as ambition in this campaign.
That continuity matters because Christiansen had already identified Ghana as one of Panama’s chances when the group was first revealed. Instead, Ghana delivered the decisive blow, and Panama were left to measure how far competitive effort can really carry them if the final pass, the final clearance and the final concentration are not there when the match reaches its sharpest moments. Against Croatia, that test will be less about spirit, which Panama clearly have, and more about whether they can turn it into points.
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