“No one can stop us,” says Panama coach after sealing World Cup spot | OneFootball

The coach of Panama, the Spanish-Danish Thomas Christiansen, stated this Tuesday, after qualifying for the 2026 World Cup in the last round of the Concacaf Qualifiers, that his team “can’t be stopped” now.

Panama “is a team that has grown over the years and now knows what it means to compete (…) there is no one who can stop us,” guaranteed Christiansen in a press conference after his team’s 3-0 victory over El Salvador.

The triumph secured the canal team’s direct qualification for its second World Cup, which sparked euphoria among the fans, who took to the streets of Panama City to celebrate.

“They (the players) are the protagonists of football, and I had the privilege of coaching them,” said Christiansen, whose voice broke as he dedicated the qualification to his late father.

“I am proud of what we achieved; what hurt me was the lack of confidence in the group, because the players had the ability and the quality, and they showed why they achieved what they did,” he added.

The Panamanian coach highlighted that, before the match against El Salvador, the players were silent, which, in his opinion, demonstrated their commitment.

“I saw a team that knew what they were playing for, knew what they had to do at every moment, and even managed to enjoy such an important game for them and for an entire country,” he stated.

Christiansen also guaranteed that if sports authorities invest in youth football, Panama will “export many players” in the future.

The canalero coach, under contract until the end of the World Cup, preferred not to say whether he would remain in the position after the tournament.

“Let’s enjoy this qualification, it’s the only thing on my mind,” he declared.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.