- Adalberto Carrasquilla, Luis Mejía and Aníbal Godoy are names that could stand out in the Canaleros second participation in the tournament.
- The Panamanian national team is in Group C of CONMEBOL Copa América 2024™ along with Uruguay, the United States and Bolivia.
Playing in its second CONMEBOL Copa América™ ever in 2024, Panama is experiencing an evolution in the world of football and hopes to commemorate this new generation with a good showing in this edition. To do this, they have players with international experience who could play in this tournament.
The Panamanians will debut in Group C of this edition against Uruguay at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami (FL), before facing the United States and Bolivia. There are still tickets available to follow Panama in this edition.
Some of the Canaleros' standout names who could play in the United States:
Aníbal Godoy
The captain of the Panamanian national team is also one of the most experienced players with the most appearances for the team (130): born in Panama City on February 10, 1990, Aníbal Godoy began his career at Chepo before going on to play for Godoy Cruz (Argentina), Honvéd (Hungary) and San José Earthquakes (United States). Since 2020 he has defended the colors of Nashville SC, also of Major League Soccer.
As his status suggests, Godoy has already become an integral part of the national team, with a long tournament resume: the midfielder played in seven editions of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, started all three matches of the first FIFA World Cup in Panama's history in 2018 and played two matches in the 2016™ CONMEBOL Copa America Centenario, when the Canal team played in the tournament for the first time.
On the field, Godoy is an energetic player, with defensive tenacity, and who also likes to combine in the midfield.
Luís Mejía
The Panamanian goal is in good hands with the experienced Luis Mejía, who will likely be chosen by coach Thomas Christensen for this CONMEBOL Copa América 2024™. At 33 years old, the goalkeeper born in 1991 can be considered a specialist in South American football, after his time at Fénix, Nacional and Racing de Montevideo (all from Uruguay) and Unión Española (Chile), including several matches in the CONMEBOL Libertadores and CONMEBOL Sudamericana.
The player was trained in his country playing for Tauro FC, and has also played for Mallorca B, in Spain, and Toulouse, in France.
Having spent 15 years with the Panamanian national team and playing in 51 games total, Mejía has the experience of a long career and the experience of belonging to championship caliber teams. In his trophy cabinet there are two Uruguayan Championship titles and a Uruguayan Super Cup, all won by Nacional.
Adalberto Carrasquilla
Another player who emerged at Tauro FC, Adalberto Carrasquilla is living the best moment of his career with the Houston Dynamo, of Major League Soccer, and is ready to make an impact if called to represent his country during CONMEBOL Copa América United States 2024™. Born in the national capital on November 28, 1998, he has more than 50 games with the Canaleros at the age of 25 and has already shown that he is one of the midfield engines of the new Panamanian generation.
At the age of 20, 'Coco' left his homeland to play in Cartagena, Spain, and two years later he was in the United States to play for the Texan club. He gradually earned a spot in the starting lineup and, in 2023, had his best season with U.S. Open Cup champion Houston. In the same year, he led Panama to the CONCACAF Gold Cup final, being awarded the Golden Ball as the best player, and chosen in the tournament's Best XI.
Carrasquilla is a player who usually starts in midfield, where he likes to carry the ball and connect with his teammates, either with simple passes or more vertically played ball. Leaving him at ease in his preferred areas on the pitch can be a problem for opponents, and the big advantage for Panama.
