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Panama Coach Calls for Unity Ahead of 2026 World Cup After Squad Announcement

From TVN Panamá · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Panama's national football team coach, Thomas Christiansen, announced the 26-player squad for the 2026 World Cup.
  • Christiansen acknowledged the difficulty in selecting the final list and expressed regret for any players who felt unfairly excluded.
  • The coach called for national unity to achieve the team's goal of improving upon their previous World Cup performance.

Thomas Christiansen, the head coach of the Panama national football team, addressed the media following the announcement of the 26-player squad for the 2026 World Cup. He admitted that finalizing the roster was a challenging process, emphasizing that the selections were made with the aim of assembling the best possible team for the tournament.

We know that we cannot please everyone. In the six years I have been here, I have always thought about the benefit of the team. That I may have been unfair to a few, I am sorry. As a coach, that is the responsibility I have to take.

· Thomas ChristiansenAddressing the difficult decisions made during squad selection and expressing regret for any players who felt overlooked.

"We know that we cannot please everyone," Christiansen stated, reflecting on the difficult decisions involved. "In the six years I have been here, I have always thought about the benefit of the team." He also extended an apology to any players who might feel they were treated unjustly, acknowledging his responsibility as coach.

We want to improve on the previous performance, and that is achieved with a united country.

· Thomas ChristiansenHighlighting the team's ambition and the importance of national support for achieving their goals.

The coach issued a strong call for national support, urging Panamanians to rally behind the team as they strive to surpass their performance in the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where they lost all three matches. "We want to improve on the previous performance, and that is achieved with a united country," he emphasized. Christiansen also discussed specific player decisions, including the injury status of Adalberto Carrasquilla and the non-selection of Kadir Barría, explaining the rationale behind these choices based on team needs and squad limitations.

Only 26 players are allowed, if I include Kadir, who do I have to leave out?

· Thomas ChristiansenExplaining the constraints faced in squad selection and the rationale for not including a specific player.
About this summary

Originally published by TVN Panamá in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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