Panama vs Guadeloupe

After more than 14 years, Panama and Guadeloupe face off to launch Group C at the CONCACAF Gold Cup on Monday at Dignity Health Tennis Center in Carson, California.

Just days ago, Panama secured a 3-0 victory over Nicaragua in a World Cup qualifier, while Guadeloupe earned their spot in this tournament with a 2-0 aggregate triumph over the same opponent in March.

Following a narrow 1-0 loss to Mexico in the 2023 Gold Cup final, Panama embark on their journey to return to that stage. Under Thomas Christiansen, the team has come close to continental success, reaching the CONCACAF Nations League final earlier this year but falling 2-1 to Mexico.

Los Canaleros are unbeaten in their last four Gold Cup group stage matches, having topped their group in 2023 ahead of Costa Rica, Martinique, and El Salvador. Since their 2-1 defeat to Mexico in the Nations League final, Panama have won their last two competitive matches, outscoring opponents 5-0.

All three of Panama’s wins in 2025 came when they scored first, maintaining a clean sheet in each. Their last encounter with Guadeloupe was in the 2011 Gold Cup group stage, where Panama held on for a 3-2 victory after leading 3-0.

Guadeloupe, meanwhile, return to the Gold Cup for a third consecutive time after a strong qualifying campaign, leaning on their solid defense. They won both legs of their playoff against Nicaragua 1-0, despite controlling less than 40% of possession in each game.

Coached by Jocelyn Angloma, Les Gwada Boys are unbeaten in their last five matches across all competitions, keeping a clean sheet in each. In 2023, they were close to reaching the quarter-finals, leading their group until a 3-2 loss to Guatemala ended their run.

A win on Monday would extend Guadeloupe’s winning streak to five matches, matching their best run from 2019-2021. Their last victory in an opening Gold Cup group match came in 2009, when they beat Panama 2-1 and advanced to the quarter-finals.