Panama’s National Soccer Team Finishes the 2026 World Cup with a 2-0 Loss to England

Panama: Panama’s national team said goodbye to the World Cup held on North American soil with a 0-2 defeat against England on Saturday at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The result seals their elimination in the group stage, having earned no points in three matches.  Jude Bellingham opened the scoring in the 62nd minute and Harry Kane sealed the match in the 67th, in a five-minute stretch that ended Panama’s chances of staging a historic comeback.  Panama finished fourth in Group L, after also losing to Ghana (0-1) and Croatia (0-1) in their previous matches.  Thomas Christiansen’s team ended their World Cup campaign with zero goals for and four against. 

In the final standings of Group L, England finished top with 7 points, the result of two wins and a draw. Croatia came in second with 6 points, followed by Ghana with 4.  Panama finished last with zero points, three losses, no goals for and four against, for a goal difference of -4.  England dominated from start to finish, and Panama had no answer for defeat in the final Group L match of the 2026 World Cup. The statistics from the match at MetLife Stadium reflect England’s superiority, which resulted in a 2-0 victory.  In terms of possession, England controlled the ball 61% of the time, compared to Panama’s 39%.

This difference extended to their passing game: the English completed 476 of 551 passes for an 86% success rate, while Panama only managed 211 of 272 passes, with a 78% success rate.  The superiority in shots was also clear.  England generated 17 shots in total, with 9 on target and 2 hitting the post, while Panama only managed 12 shots, with just 5 on target and none hitting the post. In assists, the English registered 2 compared to none for the Panamanians.  Defensively, Panama displayed greater physical activity with 24 recoveries compared to England’s 10, and committed 15 fouls to England’s 13. 

Clearances were also revealing: Panama made 25 to England’s 16, evidence of the constant pressure the Panamanian defense endured.  Regarding cards, Panama received two yellow cards, while England received none. Corner kicks favored England 7 to 3, and both teams recorded 4 offsides each.  For Panama it was 3 in a row.  Final score England 2 and Panama 0.  It represented the Canaleros’ farewell to the World Cup, as they arrived at the match without any possibility of advancing after falling 1-0 in their two previous appearances: first against Ghana and then against Croatia, both in Toronto, Canada.