Panamanian football forever changed on 10 October 2017. That was the day that the Central American nation qualified for its first FIFA World Cup™, as a pulsating 2-1 victory over Costa Rica on the final day of qualifying proved enough for Los Canaleros to punch their ticket to Russia 2018.
One of the heroes of that legendary team was Blas Perez, a striker beloved in his country for his knack of scoring goals in crucial moments. These days, when the 44-year-old speaks about the state of the national team, everyone in the country listens.
Panama have enjoyed great success of late in the Concacaf region, reaching the final of the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup and the 2024-25 Nations League, but a slow start in the third round of qualifying for the FIFA World Cup 26™ has the fans feeling angst.
Speaking with FIFA, Perez expressed his optimism for their chances of a return to the global showpiece, his memories of Russia 2018 and his excitement to see his former home of Dallas as a host city in 2026.
Blas Perez: I’ve liked it a lot, we just haven’t liked the results we’ve gotten. We’re used to seeing Panama play in such a spectacular way, but the results haven’t come. The first one [draw at Suriname], was positive because in a qualifier getting a point away is good, but then you have to make the home match count and we didn’t get the three points against Guatemala. We got two points though, we didn’t lose, and in the end, we know that we depend only on ourselves.
Yes, I think because we’ve been called that, it has affected us a little bit, and we may have gotten too relaxed. We can’t get overconfident against other teams. Many said that we would cruise past Suriname, but that was a lie. Also, Guatemala came here and had a spectacular tactical setup and were beating us initially. It’s more of a question of attitude and knowing how to play a qualifier because not just anyone can play a World Cup qualifier.
You have to know how to handle it. In El Salvador we’re going to encounter almost everything there, both on and off the field. But right now the people here in Panama on the streets are asking, ‘What’s going on with the national team?’ It’s just that we’re playing teams that are also preparing hard, so now all you can do is have a clean slate and focus on the next two games.
Playing in El Salvador is so, so difficult. And on top of that, we are going against a coach who knows us very well. He knows our idiosyncrasies, what Panama likes to do, how we attack and how to throw us off balance. Coach Hernan Dario is as clever as a fox. He knows so much. In the last qualifying cycle, he came here with Honduras and got a draw, which badly hurt our chances for Qatar. Panama have also had bad experiences in that stadium. They’ve never won there.
Everyone here is biting their nails with nerves. I go out on the street and people say that the national team still lacks in many areas. I tell them to have patience, but people are losing their patience. Sometimes the pressure is so big for the players here, but with the players we have, I think we can get full points in El Salvador.
Yes, a lot [laughs]. But my time passed by. I left my legacy already. But I speak to the boys now and I always try to give them advice. My time is long gone and only great memories remain. It’s lovely when people come up to you and remind you of those memories, of the goals you scored, that’s a great satisfaction.
He’s a coach who is very keen on his team having possession and that they attack from the flanks. Sometimes they switch the point of attack using central players, but things are always done well and I think he has a good handle on the team. It’s a phenomenal group of players who have wanted to grow and improve and he has made it that the Panamanian national team plays differently now than it did in previous cycles.
At the national team level, we’ve grown a lot. It was hard for us at first to gain the respect of our opponents. I remember times that a Mexico-Panama match would end in a 6-0 defeat. There was a massive difference, but things started changing and we gained ground. Today, Panama can be considered one of the best teams in Central America, or perhaps even the best right now. But that doesn’t mean anything if you don’t go to the World Cup.
It was a feeling of so much joy, excitement and pride for the country because for the first time Panama were going to the World Cup. This was a dream come true for all of us. A reward for everything that had been done over the years and that it came true.
I think hearing the Panama anthem was the best one. Also, arriving after a long trip through Europe where we had a month-long camp before going to Russia. We all arrived in suits with our typical Panama hats on. But yes, hearing the Panama anthem sung for the first time in a World Cup gave us goosebumps and tears of joy. Those are wonderful memories.
I was so happy to see that Dallas would be hosting World Cup matches. I think that it is really important for the city and the club, too. I have a lot of affection for FC Dallas having played four seasons there. I’ll always be thankful for what they did for me. My children learned to speak English there… I’m sure the stadium will be full for the games. Dallas is also a city known for having good organisation and hosting big events. One of my best memories is beating Mexico there 2-1 in the 2013 Gold Cup semi-finals and I scored. Hopefully Panama can qualify and play some matches at Dallas Stadium.
It is a beauty, no doubt. It is a great stadium. I think that they will also do everything possible to make sure that the grass is in spectacular condition, so I have no doubt that it will be a pleasant stay for the teams playing there at that venue.
