Panama’s difficult history at the FIFA World Cup continued on Wednesday night after a painful 1-0 defeat to Ghana in their Group L opener at BMO Field in Toronto.
The Central Americans were left disappointed after Caleb Yirenkyi scored a stoppage-time winner to give the Black Stars all three points.
The result means Panama have now lost all four of their World Cup matches and are still searching for their first point at the tournament.
Dominated Possession but Got Nothing
Panama will feel unlucky not to get something from the game. They controlled large parts of the match, created several good chances and kept Ghana under pressure for much of the contest.
José Fajardo and Edgar Bárcenas both came close to scoring in the first half, while Ghana goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi made a number of important saves to keep the score level.
However, Panama were unable to take their chances. Their missed opportunities proved costly when Yirenkyi, making his World Cup debut at just 20 years old, scored in the 92nd minute to give Ghana the win.
A Difficult World Cup History
Panama’s World Cup journey has been full of disappointment. They made their first appearance at the tournament in 2018 and lost all three group matches. They were beaten 3-0 by Belgium, 6-1 by England and 2-1 by Tunisia.
Their goal against Tunisia remains Panama’s only World Cup goal.
With this latest defeat, Panama’s record now stands at four losses from four World Cup matches.
They came into the 2026 tournament hoping to make history, but once again they were left frustrated after failing to turn good performances into points.
What Comes Next?
Panama’s next matches will be even tougher. They face Croatia on June 23 before taking on England on June 27.
The team will need to improve their finishing if they want to avoid another World Cup campaign without a point.
For Ghana, the victory was the perfect start to the tournament. For Panama, it was another disappointing night in a World Cup story that continues to bring heartbreak.
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