Video of Panama’s open training session spreads quickly before their World Cup match against England
A clip of Panama’s training session before the World Cup has been making rounds online, and fans are chatting about it.
This North American team is heading to the World Cup for only the second time ever, set to play against Croatia, Ghana, and England in Group L.
Back in 2018, Panama also played England but lost 6-1, with goals from John Stones, Harry Kane, and Jesse Lingard.
Recently, Panama played a friendly game against the Dominican Republic in Panama City, winning 4-2.
However, even though they won, some fans aren’t too hopeful about their chances, after seeing clips from their training session going viral on social media.
In the videos, players miss easy passes, fumble the ball, and look a bit out of sync—not exactly like top-level players ready for the World Cup stage.
Here are some reactions:
One fan said, “That first shot says it all. How is this big World Cup a good idea? It’s just sad.”
Another joked, “That practice looked like chaos. Panama’s like, ‘Come watch us either shine or flop.’”
Someone else added, “Harry Kane will breeze past them easily.”
And another pointed out, “FIFA’s just trying to make money with so many teams, but it lowers the excitement with average teams joining.”
On the positive side, a fan wrote, “They’re living their dream! Many players never get to play at this level. Good luck to them!”
Panama had a tough road to qualify, winning Group A in the CONCACAF third round. Their last qualifier was a 3-0 win against El Salvador, which got them to their second World Cup.
They’re hoping to score their first ever World Cup win this time, after losing all three games in 2018 against England, Belgium, and Tunisia.
Most of the team’s players aren’t very famous, though some play in Europe, like defender Edgardo Fariña at Norwich City in the English Championship and Amir Murillo at Turkish club Beşiktaş.
Here’s a look at some of the squad now:
Luis Mejía — Nacional
César Samudio — Marathón
Orlando Mosquera — Al-Fayha
César Blackman — Slovan Bratislava
José Córdoba — Norwich City
Edgardo Fariña — FC Pari Nizhniy Novgorod
Roderick Miller — Turan Tovuz
Fidel Escobar — Saprissa
Jiovany Ramos — Puerto Cabello
Eric Davis — Plaza Amador
Andrés Andrade — LASK
Jorge Gutiérrez — Deportivo La Guaira
Amir Murillo — Beşiktaş
Cristian Martínez — Ironi Kiryat Shmona
José Luis Rodríguez — Juárez
Adalberto Carrasquilla — UNAM
Yoel Bárcenas — Mazatlán
Carlos Harvey — Minnesota United
Aníbal Godoy — San Diego
César Yanis — Cobresal
Azarías Londoño — Universidad Católica de Chile
Alberto Quintero — CD Plaza Amador
Tomás Rodríguez — Deportivo Saprissa
Ismael Díaz — León
José Fajardo — Universidad Católica
Cecilio Waterman — Universidad de Concepción