Panama head coach Thomas Christiansen has made it clear that his side will not be satisfied with simply participating in the 2026 World Cup, declaring their intention to compete fiercely against England, Croatia, and Ghana.The Central Americans qualified for only their second global tournament and have been drawn in Group H alongside the three nations. Christiansen, the country’s longest-serving coach, believes his team has evolved beyond being pushovers.Speaking to FIFA, the Danish-Spanish tactician described the draw as “interesting” before outlining his ambitions.”Over the last five years, we’ve managed to hold our own against the big boys, and we’re no longer outclassed by Canada, Mexico and the USA,” he said.”We’ve admittedly not beaten Mexico during my tenure, but we’re capable of getting the better of all three of them. We’ve come out on top against the USA several times, and we’d like to replicate that success against Ghana, Croatia and England.”Christiansen acknowledged the quality of their opponents while making clear that respect will not translate into fear.”We know they’re tricky customers, but we want to go toe to toe with them and put Panama on the map.”He also raised the bar for what constitutes success, urging fans to expect more than mere participation.”We’re keen for our fans to feel proud of the team. Scoring a consolation goal should no longer be a reason for Panamanians to celebrate. It’s time for us to up our game.”Panama will open their World Cup campaign against Ghana, followed by clashes with Croatia and England.
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