Thomas Christiansen names experienced Panama squad for FIFA World Cup 2026
Panama manager Thomas Christiansen has announced his 26-man squad for FIFA World Cup 2026.
Back at the FIFA World Cup after their first ever qualification back in 2018, the Panamanians are once again gearing up for a group that features England, while also readying themselves for Croatia and Ghana, with Thomas Christiansen naming an experienced squad.
13 of Panama’s 26-man squad are aged 30 or over with 14 having made over 50 caps, 16 over 45, and four with over 100 – with two players in the 90s as we head into the summer.
Michael Amir Murillo is one of those players in the 90s and he is one of the standout names in the Panama squad, with the versatile defender having earned European pedigree in the last half a decade or so after stints with Anderlecht and Marseille before a move to Besiktas in January.
36-year-old Anibal Godoy remains the captain with the defensive midfielder earning over 150 caps for his country in a very experienced midfield alongside the likes of Alberto Quintero, Yoel Barcenas and Cristian Martinez.
Alongside Murillo at the back, Norwich City’s Jose Cordoba will expect to be vitally important alongside Cesar Blackman, of Slovan Bratislava, and LASK’s Andres Andrade.
Short on out and out attackers, Panama will be reliant on the industry of Jose Fajardo and Ismael Diaz in the final third, with Cecilio Waterman likely to be their man impact player off the bench.
The biggest call for Christiansen to make for the eleven is between the sticks with Luis Meija, playing his football in Uruguay with Nacional, competing alongside Al Fayha’s Orlando Mosquera.
