Panama midfielder named man of the match in World Cup exit

Cristian Martínez left Panama’s World Cup exit with the match’s top individual honor, a symbolic consolation after a 1-0 loss to Croatia in Toronto sealed elimination with one group game still remaining. Ante Budimir scored the winner in the 53rd minute, but Martínez’s performance in midfield gave Panama a late-night point of pride even as the result ended its second appearance at a World Cup.

The award mattered because Panama did not drift through the match. FIFA said the Central American side was the better team in the first half, and Panama created enough pressure on the right side through Martínez and Michel Murillo to trouble Croatia’s shape. Dominik Livaković kept the score level with decisive stops, including interventions against chances for José Luis Rodríguez and Carlos Harvey, before Budimir’s finish decided a contest in which Panama competed on even terms for long stretches.

Croatia’s Luka Modrić marked the occasion by playing his 200th international for the national team, giving the match an added layer of significance for the European side. Panama, meanwhile, finished the game with a sense of advancement rather than collapse. FIFA’s own assessment pointed to a team that held its level, showed growth across the tournament and left the group stage with an image that was stronger than the final standings suggested.

That reading carried extra weight because Panama had already lost its debut match 1-0 to Ghana. After that result, support for the team spilled beyond the stadium, with Boza, Maricel Cohen de Mulino and Martín Torrijos all sending public messages of backing. Boza had been named Panama’s official musical ambassador for the 2026 World Cup alongside Fepafut, a sign of how closely the squad’s campaign had been tied to national attention at home.

Martínez, born on Feb. 6, 1997, is 28, stands 1.70 meters tall, is right-footed and plays for Ironi Kiryat Shmona in Israel. He entered the tournament with 56 appearances and two goals for Panama, part of the core that Thomas Christiansen kept intact in a 26-man squad he said was ready to compete. Captain Aníbal Godoy had urged the group to “hacer historia,” and while the bracket closed on Panama in the group stage, Martínez’s individual award made sure the final night ended with something more than a scoreline.