2026 FIFA World Cup — Group L, Matchday 1 | June 18 | Toronto Stadium

TORONTO — Ninety-five minutes.

That is how long Ghana and Panama wrestled at Toronto Stadium. Ninety-five minutes in which Panama had 62% possession and 11 shots, pinning Ghana in their own half. Ninety-five minutes in which Ghana, missing Mohammed Kudus and Thomas Partey, failed to register a single shot in the first half.

Then, in the 95th minute, 20-year-old Caleb Yirenkyi was in the right place at the right time.

Brandon Thomas-Asante sent a low cross from the left. The ball threaded through bodies, through the outstretched leg of a Panamanian defender, past goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera’s fingertips. Yirenkyi needed only to stick out a foot.

1-0.

The Ghanaian fans inside Toronto Stadium erupted. Yirenkyi was buried under a pile of teammates. Twenty years old. World Cup debut. Match-winner. Some stories do not need 95 minutes of buildup — they only need the final second.

Ninety-Five Minutes of Grind, One Second of Madness

Before Yirenkyi’s goal, this match had produced almost nothing worth remembering.

Ghana were without Mohammed Kudus — the West Ham midfielder ruled out through injury. Thomas Partey was also sidelined. Carlos Queiroz’s side had lost their creativity, their drive, their midfield. In the first half, Ghana registered zero shots. Not off target — zero shots at all.

Panama controlled the game. Thomas Christiansen’s 5-4-1 system functioned smoothly: Adalberto Carrasquilla dictated from midfield, Édgar Bárcenas probed from the right, Cecilio Waterman waited for chances up front. They had 62% possession. They had 11 shots, 4 on target. But Ghana’s goalkeeper, Lawrence Ati-Zigi — who plays for St. Gallen in Switzerland — saved everything.

In the 85th minute, Panama’s best chance. Bárcenas collected the ball in the box, struck it with his right foot — Ati-Zigi flew across his goal and palmed it away. Panama were centimetres from a goal. Maybe less.

Then, the 95th minute.

Thomas-Asante — who had only come on in the 58th minute — picked up the ball on the left. He accelerated, beat his marker, and sent a low cross into the six-yard box. Yirenkyi — also a 58th-minute substitute — burst through the crowd and stabbed it home.

Goal.

This is football. Ninety-five minutes of grind. One second of madness. Panama played the better game for 95 minutes. Then they lost.

Panama: Played Better, Lost More

Panama’s players collapsed onto the turf.

They had 62% possession. They had 11 shots to Ghana’s 7. They created more chances, more corners, more dangerous attacks. They played the better game — at least on the stat sheet. But football does not care about stats. Football cares about the score.

César Blackman sat in the defensive third, head in his hands. José Córdoba lay on his back, staring at the Toronto night sky. Orlando Mosquera — Panama’s goalkeeper — stood frozen on his goal line. He had made several key saves. But Yirenkyi’s shot was one he could not reach.

Panama’s World Cup history consists of a single appearance — 2018, three defeats, bottom of the group. They came to 2026 wanting to rewrite that story. They played 95 good minutes in Toronto. Then history repeated itself.

Next, Panama face England and Croatia. Their chances of progression? Virtually zero. But this team proved one thing in Toronto: they can compete with anyone. Football is just too cruel sometimes.

Yirenkyi: Twenty Years Old, World Cup Debut, Match-Winner

Who is Caleb Yirenkyi?

Before tonight, not many people knew the name. He is 20 years old. He plays in Ghana’s domestic league. He is not Kudus. He is not Partey. He is not Jordan Ayew. He is a young player forced into action by Queiroz’s injury crisis.

He came on in the 58th minute. He scored the only goal of the match in the 95th.

After the final whistle, Yirenkyi was surrounded by journalists. He spoke softly, his voice almost drowned out by the celebrations still echoing around Toronto Stadium. “I was just in the right place at the right time,” he said. “The ball came. I touched it.”

That simple. That incredible.

Queiroz said afterwards: “This boy has the heart of a warrior.” In Ghana, Yirenkyi’s name will be sung tonight. Tomorrow, he might be a hero. The day after, he might be back on the bench. But tonight — tonight is the night of his life.

Group L Standings

Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 England 1 1 0 0 4 2 +2 3
2 Ghana 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 3
3 Croatia 1 0 0 1 2 4 -2 0
4 Panama 1 0 0 1 0 1 -1 0

Ghana face Croatia next — a match neither side can afford to lose. England face Panama — on paper a mismatch, but Panama’s defensive resilience in Toronto suggests Tuchel’s side may not have it all their own way.

Match Details:

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