Panama fell 1-0 to Croatia in their Group L match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but head coach Thomas Christiansen walked away from the pitch focused on what went right rather than what went wrong.
Christiansen praised his squad’s effort and resilience against a Croatian side with significantly more World Cup pedigree. The result leaves Panama needing a victory against England to keep their knockout-stage hopes alive.
A competitive showing despite the scoreline
This is only Panama’s second World Cup appearance in the nation’s history. The first came in 2018 in Russia, where the team lost all three group-stage matches. The Croatia loss followed a 1-0 defeat to Ghana on June 17, 2026, in their opening group match.
Christiansen’s long road to this moment
