Panama eyes first World Cup goal against England in final group match

Panama will try to leave the 2026 World Cup with its first goal, its first points and a more respectable final image when it meets England on Saturday at New York New Jersey Stadium, the closing match of Group L at 21:00 local time. The matchup is a replay of the countries’ meeting in Russia 2018, when England won 6-1 and Harry Kane scored a hat trick.

Panama arrives already eliminated after 1-0 losses to Ghana on June 17 and Croatia on June 23. England has secured its place in the next round, but Thomas Christiansen has treated the match as a test against the group’s most difficult opponent, pointing to England’s threat from set pieces and to Declan Rice, who created 10 chances in the opening stage of the tournament.

FIFA’s match center lists 19 shots for Panama and 13 against across the two games, along with 780 completed passes, just 25 fewer than the team managed in its entire 2018 World Cup campaign. Panama has lost all five of its World Cup matches, and the team still has not scored in the tournament.

Before the tournament, José Luis Rodríguez said he wanted his first goal with the national team at the World Cup and had already imagined his celebration. He also carried the memory of Russia 2018, when his shot against Tunisia was recorded as an own goal in Panama’s 2-1 loss.

The buildup to England also included a brief training-ground confrontation between Cecilio Waterman and Rodríguez, a flare-up that ended quickly and did not interrupt the open session.