World Cup 2026: Panama seeks to break goal drought and secure first points against England

Panama faces England in its final Group L match of the 2026 World Cup, carrying the weight of a significant statistical challenge: breaking its goal-scoring duck and securing its first-ever World Cup points.

Despite having 19 shots on target across their two previous matches against Ghana and Croatia, Panama remains the only team in the tournament yet to find the back of the net. In a World Cup that has already set new scoring records, Panama's offensive struggles stand out. Their farewell match presents their last opportunity to avoid leaving the tournament with a zero in the goals scored column.

Beyond scoring, Panama is also striving to avoid finishing the group stage without any points. Coach Thomas Christiansen's squad aims for at least a draw or a win against England. Achieving this would not only add points to their tally but also mark the first time they have secured points in two separate World Cup appearances.

Panama's World Cup history is a challenging one. This marks their second appearance, the first being in Russia in 2018. In total, they have played five matches across both tournaments, losing all of them. Their historical goal record stands at two goals for and thirteen against. In 2018, they lost to Belgium (0-3), England (1-6), and Tunisia (1-2). This year, they have added identical 0-1 losses to Ghana and Croatia.