England face Panama on Saturday evening hoping to secure top spot in Group L, with memories of their first and only previous meeting still vivid. That match in 2018 saw England thrash Panama 6-1, marking their largest margin of victory in a major tournament and laying the foundation for Gareth Southgate's successful era.
2018 Victory Sparked England's Renaissance
The steps England took in subsequent tournaments — reaching the World Cup semi-finals in 2018, then finals of back-to-back European Championships — owe much to that spirited run in Russia. The 6-1 win over Panama in their second group game proved to a young squad that they were not restrained by past failures. It also helped the nation fall back in love with the team after years of chronic disappointment.
BBC commentator Guy Mowbray declared at half-time: "What a result before the break. England five, Panama nil. This is unbelievable." It was a fitting description for a team that had historically filled fans with hope only to drain it away.
Panama's Progress Since 2018
Panama's manager in 2018, Hernan Dario Gomez, asked Southgate to slow down after the interval to avoid humiliating the World Cup debutants. Now, under Danish manager Thomas Christiansen, Panama are "more serious," Christiansen insisted before the tournament, stating they were "not here just for a selfie."
Panama have been eliminated after back-to-back 1-0 defeats by Ghana and Croatia, but their ranking has improved from 55th in 2018 to 34th heading into this tournament. Panama fan Octavio Reina told Standard Sport: "We're much more serious now than then. Absolutely, we've improved. We have tickets, we'll be there. I think it's going to be fantastic. The training and the facilities have got much better. So, of course, we've got more quality players."
Eliminated but Dangerous Opponents
Some believe Panama might be even stiffer opponents now they are eliminated, able to throw everything at their final game. "The entire country feels that way," Reina smiles. "We just hope the players feel the same thing we do."
England captain Harry Kane, who scored a hat-trick in the 2018 match — including a lucky goal off his heel — recalled: "Yeah, a couple pens and a lucky goal. It wasn't my most beautiful hat-trick, to be honest. I'd take that again on Saturday, for sure."
