World Cup 2026: Ghana stuns Panama with stoppage-time goal for Group L win

Panama put in a strong effort for its first World Cup point, but sometimes stoppage time doesn’t go your way.

Ghana broke a scoreless tie in the 95th minute to stun Panama and record a 1-0 win to join England with three points at the top of Group L. England defeated Croatia 4-2 earlier Wednesday.

The heroes for Ghana were Brandon Thomas-Asante, who beat a tackle to get the ball in Panama’s danger zone, and Caleb Yirenkyi, who put it in the net.

It was Ghana’s latest regulation game-winner in World Cup history, and you could see the exhilaration in both the stands and the sideline.

Panama had the advantage in both possession percentage (63-37) and shots (11-8). They certainly had the better scoring chances for most of the game. Ghana built momentum in the second half, though, and eventually broke through with some perfect ball movement.

This would have been Panama’s first World Cup point after going 0-3 in its tournament debut in 2018, but they got a gut punch instead.

Instead, it’s now Ghana with a prime opportunity to make it out of group play. Their next match will be England on June 23, then a potential win-or-go-home against Croatia on June 27.