Ghana vs Panama will hopefully continue the action-packed football that England vs Croatia displayed in Group L's opener earlier this evening.
Unfortunately for Ghana, who were once responsible for one of the World Cup's best and most devastating underdog runs, they don't appear likely to deliver such magic again.
Panama, opposite to what people may assume, have entered the North American tournament in far stronger form, but will that continue in their Group L face-off?
Ghana vs Panama prediction, Antoine Semenyo's men look to start Group L strongly at the 2026 World Cup
If Ghana are to prevail this evening, and have the best chance of securing knock-out football at the 2026 World Cup, it will likely be down to the efforts of their main man.
Antoine Semenyo was no longer the standout winger for a non-Big 6 side in the Premier League this season — well, he was for half of it — but he was the English top flight's best wide man for an actual title contender in Manchester City following his mid season move.
Ghana have lost six of their last seven games heading into the tournament, with their solitary result being a 1-1 draw against Wales.
In that time, they've shipped 13 goals, scoring just three of their own, with Semenyo playing in four of them.
Conversely, Panama enter the clash with two wins and three draws in their last seven, scoring 11 goals.
Even in a heavy loss to Brazil back in May, with a near full strength squad fielded by Ancelotti, Panama still struck two goals in a 6-2 defeat.
Ultimately, Panama are a superior unit to Ghana on the international stage right now, although, the gap isn't large enough to make the result so clear-cut.
With Semenyo in tow, Ghana are capable of producing magic at any given moment should the Manchester City man turn on the burners.
However, if Panama are to get their game plan correct, which appears likely given the confidence they must feel entering the match in surprisingly good form, the result is theirs for the taking.
Despite Panama having never won a World Cup game, or even drawn one, it feels more likely than not that they will finally get over the line and deliver a result for their country tonight.
Prediction: Ghana 1-2 Panama
