Team Profile

After appearing in just one Concacaf Gold Cup in the first seven editions of the tournament, Panama have become mainstays and will participate in the Gold Cup for a 10th straight time in 2023, giving them 11 total appearances dating back to their debut in 1993.

A steady improvement over the years is also reflected in their overall tournament record, which stands at 15W-16D-14L, with 67 goals scored and 57 conceded.

Some very familiar names head up the country’s all-time Gold Cup scoring leaders, among them being Blas Perez with 11 goals, Luis Tejada at 10 goals and Gabriel Torres with eight goals

Many of Panama’s golden generation that helped the nation qualify for its first FIFA World Cup berth at Russia 2018 rank as the leaders in all-time Gold Cup appearances. Former DF Gabriel Gomez leads the way with 31, followed closely behind by GK Jaime Penedo with 28 and Roman Torres with 25 Gold Cup games in his career.

Panama will participate in Group C with Costa Rica, El Salvador, and the winner of the Prelims 8 match. Panama meets Costa Rica once more after edging their regional rivals to win Group B of League A in the 2022–23 Concacaf Nations League, where a top-two finish earned both countries their Gold Cup qualification.

This year’s journey begins on Monday, June 26, against Costa Rica as the group kicks off in a doubleheader at DRV PNK Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, FL. They will be paired up against a winner of the preliminaries on Friday, June 30, at Red Bull Arena, Harrison, NJ, and they end the group stage against El Salvador at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, TX, on Tuesday, July 4.

Twice runners-up in the last two decades in 2005 and 2013, the country will aim for a third final appearance. If they advance to the knockout round for a 10th time, a quarterfinals participation will start on Saturday, July 8, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX, against either the first or second-placed team from Group B.

Los Canaleros will look to make a run for the trophy after featuring in the 2023 Concacaf Nations League Finals. Goalkeeper Luis Mejia has been part of three semifinal runs in the Gold Cup and will look to materialize a fourth in his potential sixth tournament participation.

Alberto Quintero, with 22 matches played, could pass Roman Torres (25) for the third-most appearances for Panama in a Gold Cup. The only way to tie GK Jaime Penedo (28) for a second would be to reach the final.

Thomas Christiansen returns as the manager for a second consecutive edition. The Danish coach took a young side to a 1-1-1 record in 2021 and is looking to take the next step in the tournament.