MIAMI — The 2025 Concacaf Nations League Finals kick off on March 20, with four nations competing to decide who will play in the championship match three days later at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, USA.
The United States and Panama will square off for the first time in the CNL Finals in the opening bout of a doubleheader also featuring Canada against Mexico.
The U.S. will look to defend its title and earn a fourth consecutive trophy, while Los Canaleros hope to be the first Central American side to reach the Final.
The two nations share a historical rivalry in other tournaments. They have met in the Concacaf Gold Cup on 12 occasions and twice in official semifinals. In 28 official encounters, the United States leads head-to-head with an 18W-7D-3L overall record.
The U.S. defeated Jamaica in the quarterfinals, 5-2 on aggregate, with goals from Christian Pulisic, Timothy Weah, and Ricardo Pepi. Weston McKennie has been a key reason in previous editions as the player with the most goal contributions in the CNL for the United States.
Panama defeated Costa Rica in the quarterfinals, 3-2 on aggregate, with goals from José Fajardo, César Blackman, and José Luis Rodríguez. Cecilio Waterman is another player to follow, with three goals in Panama’s 13 CNL appearances.
Los Canaleros will aim to reach the Final for the first time, making its third consecutive CNL Finals appearance under head coach Thomas Christiansen. Under Christiansen, Panama has gotten the better of the U.S. squad in their two previous encounters.
At last summer’s Copa America, Panama earned a 2-1 win against the United States in the group stage. Blackman and Fajardo scored to overturn an opening goal from Folarin Balogun, as Los Canaleros advanced out of Group C with Uruguay.
Panama also contributed to the U.S. elimination at the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup. The two sides played to a 1-1 draw in the semifinals, going scoreless through regulation before Iván Anderson and Jesús Ferreira traded goals in extra time. Adalberto Carrasquilla struck the winning penalty in the shootout, winning 5-4, to send Panama to the final.
The USA is in a new era under the management of Mauricio Pochettino. The Stars and Stripes defeated Panama 2-nil in a friendly last October in Pochettino’s debut. Yunus Musah struck his first international goal, with Ricardo Pepi adding the other goal in stoppage time.
