Panama's training bust-up underscores a doomed World Cup campaign

Panama's national team erupted into a physical altercation on Friday's training session ahead of their final 2026 FIFA World Cup group match against England, with the incident captured by multiple cameras and posted online. The bust‑up came after the side had already been eliminated, having lost 1‑0 to both Ghana and Croatia without scoring a point.

The clash involved forward José Luis Rodriguez and striker Cecilio Waterman, who had previously played for KAA Gent. Waterman shoved Rodriguez hard, prompting the latter to attempt a retaliatory strike. Several teammates intervened to restrain the former KAA Gent player and restore order.

Panama entered the match against England with zero points, having suffered two 1‑0 defeats to Ghana and Croatia. The team has yet to find the net in the tournament. Their early exit was confirmed before the England fixture.

The England game is scheduled for Saturday at 23:00 Belgian time, offering the Panamanian squad a chance to play for pride despite the dead‑rubber status. The locker room is reportedly divided, with heightened nerves spilling onto the training ground. Panama's first World Cup qualification was achieved in 2018 in Russia, a historic milestone for the nation.

The scuffle was filmed by several cameras and quickly spread across the internet, prompting a trending tweet captioned "PANAMA TRAINING GROUND BUST‑UP BEFORE ENGLAND". Fans can follow the live broadcast on Voetbalkrant.com from 23:00. The outlet also invites readers to subscribe to its newsletter for further updates.