Panama will walk into MetLife Stadium on June 27 with something most underdogs lack: a core of players who have already been through the World Cup pressure cooker. Five members of the country’s historic 2018 squad, their first-ever World Cup appearance, are back for the 2026 edition, and they’re set to anchor the team’s final Group L match against England.
England has already punched their ticket to the Round of 16. Panama, meanwhile, is looking to close out their tournament run with something more than a moral victory. The kickoff is set for 5:00 PM ET at East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The returning five
The experienced contingent reads like a spine of the entire team. Goalkeeper Luis Mejía provides stability between the posts. Defenders Amir Murillo, Eric Davis, and Fidel Escobar form a back line that has seen this stage before. And midfielder Alberto Quintero adds creative guile in the middle of the park.
Panama’s 2018 campaign in Russia was a learning experience. They lost all three group games and conceded 11 goals. But eight years later, those survivors carry institutional memory that no tactical whiteboard session can replicate.
