Panama

Panama punches well above its weight in CONCACAF football, and 2026 brings a genuinely manageable timezone setup for fans back in Panama City. Panama runs on America/Panama (UTC-5 year-round, no daylight saving), which means US Eastern matches land close to their own clock.

The first Group L match is June 17 against Ghana in Toronto, kicking off at 19:00 local time. Toronto sits in Eastern time during summer at UTC-4, which means the actual UTC kickoff is 23:00. In Panama City that is 18:00. An evening kickoff at home, comfortable.

The second match on June 23 against Croatia is again in Toronto at 19:00 Eastern. Same calculation: 18:00 in Panama. Excellent.

The third group game on June 27 moves to New York against England, starting at 17:00 Eastern. That is 16:00 in Panama. An afternoon match.

Panama’s entire group stage takes place in the Eastern timezone corridor, making this one of the most fan-friendly schedules for a Central American team. The large Panamanian diaspora community in Miami and New York can watch at identical or near-identical times.

Group L with England, Croatia, and Ghana is a tough draw. Panama last qualified for the 2018 World Cup and lost all three group games, but the team has strengthened considerably. Playing most group matches against opponents with their own timezone complications gives Panama a level playing field emotionally.

Check every match time in your local timezone using the converter on this page.