"We must commend the team, not solely for the outcome, but for their performance—full of hunger, dedication, and spirit. That was our primary goal," expressed Christiansen during the press conference.

"I take immense pride in how we performed against a potential world champion like Croatia, who held out until the final whistle," he added.

"We faced a stroke of bad luck in a match where they capitalized on a specific play, yet that's the nature of football; mistakes carry heavier consequences on the World Cup stage, especially against a team of Croatia's caliber. Nonetheless, we must tip our hats to Croatia.

"They created two opportunities and scored a goal. We, too, enjoyed a fair share of possession and crafted chances, which compelled our opponents to react."

With this defeat, Panama has been eliminated from the World Cup in their second appearance, having previously participated in the 2018 tournament.

Throughout their World Cup history, Los Canaleros have suffered losses in all five matches played, falling to Belgium, England, and Tunisia in 2018, as well as to Ghana and Croatia in this edition.

Panamanian supporters had hoped for a breakthrough, dreaming of advancing beyond the group stages for the first time in a nation where football lags behind baseball and boxing in popularity, amidst a semi-professional league.

"I feel a particular sense of disappointment for the entire country that was excited about their team. Ultimately, we fell short. However, we must also reflect on how we lost, the manner of our performance, and the caliber of our opponents," Christiansen concluded.