Surrounded by Fans and Panamanian Folklore Panama Footballers Arrive at its Toronto Base Camp
Panama landed in Canada after concluding their preparations on Saturday with a 1-1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Panamanian national team arrived this Sunday at their base camp for the 2026 World Cup, the Nottawasaga Resort hotel complex, located north of Toronto, where they were greeted by about thirty fans and a lively display of Panamanian folklore. The bus carrying the team arrived at the hotel around 3:30 p.m. local time. The first to get off the bus was the Panamanian coach, the Spanish-Danish Thomas Christiansen, who immediately approached the fans gathered at the entrance to greet them, sign autographs, and pose for photographs. Several footballers also spent several minutes attending to the fans, signing shirts and taking photographs with them before entering the facilities.
The arrival of the Panamanian team was accompanied by a festive atmosphere. Five women dressed in polleras, the traditional Panamanian dress, danced to the rhythm of a traditional musical group while fans waved flags with the red, blue, and white colors of the Central American country. Among those present was the Panamanian ambassador to Canada, Ricardo Alemán, who expressed to EFE the enthusiasm of the Panamanian community for the arrival of the team. The diplomat added that the reception organized this Sunday was just a preview of the support the team expects during the tournament.
“The community in general, everyone as you can see, a small representation now with the pollera, with the red colors that are the Panamanian colors of the national team, waiting for them with great enthusiasm, great spirit. Waiting for the thousands of Panamanians who will begin to arrive this week and fill the streets of Toronto with happiness, with joy, with enthusiasm, as Panamanians are,” he stated.
Panama landed in Canada after concluding their preparations on Saturday with a 1-1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina in St. Louis, USA. Christiansen’s team fell behind early after Nikola Katic scored in the 23rd minute, but equalized before halftime with a goal from Jiovany Ramos in first-half stoppage time. That result came after the 6-2 defeat suffered on May 31 against Brazil at the Maracanã stadium in Rio de Janeiro, a demanding friendly in which the Panamanian team conceded four goals in the second half.
Panama will compete in its second World Cup in 2026, after its debut in Russia 2018, where it was eliminated in the group stage after losing all three of its matches against Belgium, England and Tunisia. Over the next few days, the Panamanian national team will prepare at the Nottawasaga Resort for their World Cup debut, scheduled for June 17 in Toronto against Ghana. Panama will also play in the Canadian city against Croatia on June 23, before closing out the group stage against England in New Jersey.
Panama’s National Team Travels to Canada Without Striker Kadir Barría as a Reserve
Kadir Barría was part of this stage prior to the 2026 World Cup, gaining experience alongside the Panama national team. Kadir Barría participated with the Panamanian national team in the preliminary phase for the 2026 World Cup. The Panamanian Football Federation (Fepafut) officially announced that Kadir Barría has finished his participation with the Panamanian National Team and will therefore not be listed as a reserve for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. “Kadir Barría has finished his participation with the National Team,” a statement said. The young striker, considered one of the most promising talents in Panamanian football, has experienced significant growth in Brazilian football with Botafogo.
However, various factors prevented his inclusion in coach Thomas Christiansen’s final squad. Barría was part of this pre-World Cup stage, gained experience with the group and left a special moment for the Panamanian fans with his goal at the Rommel Fernández Gutiérrez against the Dominican Republic. Panama embarked on their journey to Toronto this Sunday with 28 players: the 26 called up for the World Cup and the two reserves John Gunn and Victor Griffith. The Panamanian national team will settle into their camp at the Nottawasaga Training Site, located in New Tecumseth, Ontario.
