A tiny nation in Central America, Panama has punched above its weight in the world of football. The national team has made two World Cup appearances (2018 and 2026), apart from recording consistently good results in the CONCACAF Gold Cup international tournament.

These successes have come despite football playing second fiddle to baseball in terms of popularity. From an Indian perspective, Panama’s rise to the top-50 in the FIFA world rankings is the worthy blueprint to follow.

“The most important thing is to progress and improve in all senses,” Panama head coach Thomas Christiansen said, when asked for the secret sauce.

“The league has to be better. The facilities have to be better. You must give the players the best conditions to improve, and get good coaches to show the players what they need.

“A good thing for India is that they are facing three World Cup teams. This will tell you where you stand, and the level you have to go to if you want to reach a World Cup,” Christiansen said in the pre-match press conference here on Thursday.

Panama midfielder Carlos Harvey, who plies his trade for Major League Soccer (MLS) club Minnesota United FC, had a word of advice for Indian footballers. “If you want to improve your level, try and play abroad and look for challenges,” Harvey said.