Ghana's opening opponents at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Panama, endured a difficult evening after suffering a crushing 6-2 defeat to Brazil in an international friendly at the iconic Maracanã Stadium.



The heavy loss comes just weeks before Panama face the Black Stars in their opening Group stage fixture on June 17 in Toronto, Canada. While the Central American side will be hoping to use the defeat as a learning experience, the result exposed several defensive weaknesses that Ghana could look to exploit when the tournament begins.



Brazil, five-time world champions, wasted little time in asserting their dominance. Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior opened the scoring with a stunning long-range effort that left the Panama defence helpless. Despite the early setback, Panama responded positively and found an equaliser 12 minutes later when a deflected free-kick struck Manchester United forward Matheus Cunha and found its way into the net.



The parity, however, was short-lived. Brazil regained control through experienced midfielder Casemiro, who rose highest to head home a pinpoint cross from Vinicius Junior. The floodgates soon opened as Panama struggled to cope with the relentless Brazilian attack.



A costly error from goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera gifted Rayan an opportunity to extend Brazil's lead before Lucas Paquetá added a fourth goal with a powerful strike from distance. Brentford forward Igor Thiago converted from the penalty spot to make it five, while Danilo added a sixth goal with ten minutes remaining to complete the rout. Carlos Harvey managed to pull one back for Panama in the 83rd minute, but it did little to alter the outcome of a one-sided contest.



Meanwhile, Ghana continue their preparations for the global showpiece and are set to face Wales in an international friendly on June 2. The match will provide Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz with an important opportunity to assess his squad ahead of the tournament.



Coach Queiroz is expected to announce his final World Cup squad on Monday during a media engagement in Wales, where he will outline his plans and expectations for the competition.



After opening their World Cup campaign against Panama in Toronto, the Black Stars will travel to Boston for a highly anticipated clash against England before concluding their group-stage fixtures against Croatia in Philadelphia.



With preparations entering their final stages, Ghana will be encouraged by Panama's struggles against elite opposition as the Black Stars aim to make a strong start to their 2026 FIFA World Cup journey.