Guatemala City, Nov. 14 - Guatemala today mourns the farewell of its national team from the 2026 World Cup, in its 17th attempt, following a 2-3 defeat against the always-favored Panama, within Group A of CONCACAF.
"Extreme Sadness," titled the local newspaper La Hora in an article, which described how the blue and white team equalized the score to 2-2 in the second half, but minutes later the Panamanians scored the third goal to take the victory.
The night that promised to be a celebration ended up being a blow to the heart for thousands of Guatemalans, and the hope that kept an entire country on edge was extinguished, the media itself described.
Guatemala let its biggest dream slip away. The defeat against Panama confirmed that, even with the most accessible path in history, the national team was unable to take the step the nation yearns for, emphasized Emisoras Unidas.
The feeling of loss is harder than ever. There was and will not be another opportunity like this to attend a World Cup, considering that the hosts—Mexico, the United States, and Canada—already had their tickets secured, it added.
No advantage could be taken from the capital stadium Manuel Felipe Carrera "El Trébol," where the crowd showed up, but unfortunately, it did not translate to the playing field, emphasized Soy 502.
Four years of process, the clearest opportunity in 68 years, and once again the pain of falling short, stressed Prensa Libre.
After the fifth matchday, Group A has Suriname and Panama tied with nine points, following the former's 4-0 thrashing of El Salvador the previous day.
The matches next Tuesday between Guatemala-Suriname and Panama-El Salvador will determine who among the Central Americans and South Americans will secure the direct ticket. The second team in the standings could go to international playoffs.
Analysts from the land of the quetzal warned that the team still cannot make the "leap" and that it is now time to look ahead: rethink strategies, the project, the coach (the Mexican Luis Fernando Tena), and the players.
