The Concacaf Nations League returns this week after a four-month absence. The United States, Panama, Mexico and Canada will compete to determine who rules the North/Central American region — a title that carries significant weight with the World Cup 15 months away.
The U. S. Men’s National Team, ranked 16th in the world, is elevating its game under new coach Mauricio Pochettino and coasts into the Nations League on a four-match winning streak. But how will it fare against the rest of Concacaf’s finest?
Here’s how Panama, Mexico and Canada stack up against the rest of the region as the Nations League finals draw near.
Panama | fourth in Concacaf, 36th in world
Panama has evolved into a worrisome team for the USMNT, and it’s easy to see why. It has a talented, regimented side with a flair for physicality. Panama has won three of its past five matches against the USMNT, including two crucial tournament knockout games in 2023 and 2024.
Panama doesn’t have the attacking power of its Concacaf neighbors, but it spikes in defensive midfield and excels at controlling play.
Ex-MLS legend Coco Carrasquilla (Pumas UNAM) commands the center of the park for Panama and supplies grit. He’s something of a red-card magnet — he baits opposition players into getting them as often as he earns them himself — and should be the USMNT’s biggest threat.
In Panama’s win over the USMNT in the Copa America last summer, Carrasquilla orchestrated the upset. He also got sent off in the closing minutes for a sneaky tackle on Christian Pulisic.