44 Days to the World Cup: When all of Panama celebrated the team’s first World Cup goal

Tue, April 28, 2026 at 11:05 AM UTC

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Getting to attend the World Cup is an incredible honor in itself, and for some smaller countries, the small milestones mean just as much — if not more — than the trophy.

In 2018, Panama made its first-ever World Cup appearance. The Panamanian team snagged a coveted CONCACAF spot in the tournament that kicked the United States men’s national team out of contention in the process.

And in Panama’s second group stage game against mighty England, Panama found the back of the net in a historic moment after earning a set piece outside the box late in the game.

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Veteran defender and Panamanian captain Felipe Baloy was there to receive the free kick, sliding to get the ball past England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford in the 78th minute.

Baloy, who was 37 at the time, became the oldest debutante to score a goal. He retired from soccer later that year, ending on a high note.

England was already up 6-0 at the time behind a hat trick from Harry Kane. But it didn’t matter to Panama — history was already made, and the entire nation seemed to celebrate just as loudly as if they’d won it all.

Now, Panama is returning to the global stage as part of the expanded 48-team tournament. They are set to face England again in Group L, as well as Croatia and Ghana.

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Source: “AOL Sports”