Panama Coach: Hopefully, Our Players Will Find Stronger Clubs Now

Panama's head coach, Thomas Christiansen, hopes his players' inspired World Cup performances will open doors to new opportunities, even after Croatia ended their knockout stage aspirations with a 1-0 defeat. A second consecutive loss by the same scoreline means the Central American side can no longer advance in the tournament, but the Danish coach praised his players for their efforts.

"I believe we should commend them and be proud of Panama's performance against a world-class team like Croatia. I'm sure people realized that Panama has great players, and I hope this opens up opportunities for them to play in better leagues and for stronger clubs. These players, after two World Cup matches, will not be where they were before," stated Thomas Christiansen, as quoted by BTA.

Following two matches in Toronto, Panama will now travel to the United States to conclude their World Cup campaign against England on Sunday evening, kicking off at 00:00 Bulgarian time. The Dane lauded Canada for its hospitality, adding that his team had been very well received.

"The hospitality of the people here in Canada was incredible, especially in Toronto," Christiansen said.