---
title: "Panama’s road to the 2026 World Cup heads to the big screen in new documentary"
date: 2026-05-14
author: ""
url: https://panamadaily.news/2026/05/14/panama-world-cup-documentary-un-segundo-latido/
categories:
  - "Culture"
  - "Sports"
tags:
  - "documentary"
  - "FEPAFUT"
  - "Ismael Díaz"
  - "Panama"
  - "Thomas Christiansen"
  - "World Cup"
---

# Panama’s road to the 2026 World Cup heads to the big screen in new documentary

## What Happened

The story of Panama’s second FIFA World Cup qualification will move from the pitch to the cinema screen with the release of **“Un Segundo Latido, la historia continúa”** on May 28. The documentary, produced by Prodena, C11 Films and the Panamanian Football Federation, will screen exclusively at Cinépolis theaters.

The film follows the national team’s path to the 2026 tournament, where Panama secured qualification without a loss. Under coach Thomas Christiansen, the team finished the campaign with seven wins, three draws, 19 goals scored and only five conceded.

## A campaign full of pressure

Although the final numbers were strong, the road to qualification was not smooth. Panama opened the final phase in September with a draw in Paramaribo and then another tie against Guatemala at the Rommel Fernández Gutiérrez Stadium, results that created pressure and doubt around the squad.

In October, Panama picked up one of its most important wins of the process by defeating El Salvador at Estadio Cuscatlán. Days later, the team stumbled again with a home draw against Surinam, a match remembered for Ismael Díaz’s decisive goal in the 90+6 minute.

The tension carried into November, when Panama clinched its World Cup berth with back-to-back victories over Guatemala at Estadio El Trébol and El Salvador at the Rommel Fernández. The final match came against a team led by Hernán Darío Gómez, adding another layer of drama to the closing stretch.

## Why it matters

The documentary arrives as Panama prepares for its second appearance at a FIFA World Cup, adding to a growing chapter in the country’s football history. It also extends the legacy of **Minuto 87**, the production that captured Panama’s first World Cup qualification for Russia 2018, sealed by Román Torres’s unforgettable goal against Costa Rica.

For fans, the film offers a chance to relive the key moments of a qualifying campaign marked by momentum swings, late goals and high stakes. For Panamanian football, it serves as a record of a team that turned early uncertainty into another historic breakthrough.