El Salvador vs. Opponent: Match Photos & Highlights – La Selecta

Panama defeated El Salvador 3-0 on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, at the Rommel Fernández Stadium, securing their direct qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The result simultaneously eliminated El Salvador from contention, concluding their qualifying campaign with a defeat.

César Blackman opened the scoring for Panama in the 17th minute with a powerful shot that El Salvador’s goalkeeper, Mario González, could not save. Erick Davis extended the lead with a penalty kick, and José Rodríguez added a third goal to complete the scoring. The Panamanian victory was further aided by Surinam’s 3-1 loss to Guatemala, which similarly secured Panama’s place in the tournament.

El Salvador, already eliminated from World Cup contention prior to the match, struggled to mount a significant offensive threat. Limited opportunities fell to Styven Vásquez, whereas the team faced consistent pressure from the Panamanian attack. The home crowd celebrated both Panama’s goals and the news of Surinam’s defeat, which confirmed the latter’s need to compete in a repechage round.

This marks the first official victory for El Salvador under the leadership of head coach Hernán “Bolillo” Gómez, though it came in a match with no bearing on their World Cup qualification. Earlier in the qualifying process, on November 9, 2025, El Salvador achieved a 3-0 victory over Anguilla, a result that briefly raised hopes for advancement. Santos Ortíz scored the opening goal in that match, followed by Bryan Gil, and then Elvin Alvarado. That win brought El Salvador to seven points in Group F, trailing Surinam by two.

El Salvador concluded the qualifying stage without a single away win. The team now faces an uncertain future in international competition, with no immediate matches scheduled.