Ghana and Panama open Group L in Toronto in a match that brings together two nations with distinct World Cup stories and genuine ambitions for 2026. Ghana are one of Africa’s most celebrated footballing nations, with a World Cup history that includes some of the continent’s finest performances. Panama, after their memorable 2018 debut in Russia, return to the tournament with experience, confidence and the knowledge that they belong at this level.

Ghana’s World Cup peak came in 2010 in South Africa, when they became the last African team remaining in a World Cup hosted on the continent. Their quarter-final defeat to Uruguay, decided by Luis Suarez’s infamous handball on the goal line and Asamoah Gyan’s subsequent missed penalty in extra time, is one of the most debated moments in World Cup history. That near-miss still resonates in Ghanaian football. Their squads since have featured consistent Premier League and European talent, and the ambition to go further than 2010 remains a driving force.

Panama made their World Cup debut in 2018 in Russia, a moment of pure national celebration. They lost all three group matches but their presence alone was historic. The scenes in Panama City when they qualified are among football’s great communal joy images. Returning to 2026 as a more experienced nation, on home soil in North America where CONCACAF teams carry natural advantage, Panama represent a different proposition than the debutants of eight years ago.

BMO Field in Toronto gives Group L its opening in a city with deep multicultural football roots. Toronto’s Ghanaian and Caribbean communities will bring real noise. Group L begins with two teams who both know what it means to reach a World Cup and how much they want to go further.