The CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship is a tournament that determines the Confederation’s champion and its qualifiers for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.
The Panama men’s beach soccer team made history over the weekend by winning their nation’s first CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship (CBSC) gold medal and securing an automatic ticket to the sport’s upcoming FIFA World Cup.
Hosted in Nassau, the Bahamas, the CONCACAF contest saw the surprisingly early exit of Costa Rica, while the Panamanian squad, in only their second-ever CBSC appearance, paved a stunning path to victory with wins over regional powerhouses United States in the quarterfinals, and El Salvador in the semifinals. Panama continued undaunted in the final match, ultimately prevailing 4-2 over defending and three-time CBSC champs Mexico.
As the tournament’s top two finishers, both Panama and Mexico have qualified for the 2017 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, also to be held in Nassau starting this April 27. They will join host nation the Bahamas in representing the Central, North America, and Caribbean region at beach soccer’s premier global competition.
Watch highlights from the final match here:
