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Panamanian striker Cecilio Waterman and midfielder José Luis Rodríguez got into a physical altercation during training on June 26, 2026, just two days before Panama’s final Group L match against England at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The incident occurred during a closed-door session, with teammates stepping in to separate the two players after a late challenge by Rodríguez during a small-sided drill escalated into pushing and a heated verbal exchange.
A squad already out of contention
Panama entered their final group-stage fixture against England already eliminated from the tournament, having collected zero points across three matches.
Waterman, a 35-year-old striker who plays his club football for Chile’s Universidad de Concepción, had earned his first World Cup selection for the 2026 tournament.
The striker had been a significant contributor to Panama’s recent CONCACAF success. He scored a critical stoppage-time goal against the United States during the 2024-25 CONCACAF Nations League in March 2025, a moment that helped cement his place in the national team setup heading into the World Cup cycle.
Rodríguez, a midfielder, reportedly initiated the sequence with a challenge that teammates and staff deemed excessive for a training environment.
Panama’s World Cup campaign in perspective
Panama’s 2026 World Cup ended with zero points from three group-stage matches. The June 28 match against England was their final act of the tournament.
What this means going forward
For Waterman, who at 35 is unlikely to see another World Cup, this incident risks overshadowing a career that included genuinely meaningful contributions to Panamanian football. His Nations League goal against the US in March 2025 was the kind of moment that typically defines a player’s international legacy.
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