Image Credit: Federación Panameña de Fútbol
BRONX, NY — On Wednesday night, as José Caballero and the Yankees take on the White Sox in the Bronx, the Panama native will have his homeland on the back of his mind.
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup recently kicking off across North America, Panama’s first turn on the pitch for The Beautiful Game comes Wednesday at 7:00PM ET in Toronto against Ghana.
And like all of his homeland, Caballero, 29, hailing from Las Tablas, Panama, awaits the time for Panama’s National Soccer Team to rise, seeking the country’s first-ever victory in FIFA World Cup history. In the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Panama, making its FIFA World Cup debut, lost all three of its group matches—3-0 vs. Belgium, 6-1 vs. England and 2-1 vs. Tunisia.
“I hope that after I finish my game I get the good news about us getting the first win in a World Cup,” said Caballero Tuesday afternoon prior to the Yankees beating up on the White Sox 12-1 at Yankee Stadium.
José Caballero stopped playing soccer at the age of eight in Panama because he didn’t like how matches (games) would sometimes result in a draw – Image Credit: Federación Panameña de Fútbol
A fan of the sport, but once on the pitch himself, Caballero opted to stop playing soccer at the age of eight due to there being draws with no ultimate winner.
“I didn’t like that they don’t have a winner in the match, so I stopped playing it,” he said in a recent interview with The Canadian Press, also revealing that he has attended one high-level soccer game in person, which was a Panama and Suriname 1-1 tie in a CONCACAF World Cup qualifier in October of 2025 in Panama City.
With the Yankees off last Thursday ahead of a three-game weekend set vs. the Blue Jays on the road, Caballero had the opportunity of visiting Panama’s National Soccer Team during their practice in New Tecumseth, Ontario, an hour or so drive north of Toronto, and later went out to dinner with the players.
During the Yankees’ off-day last Thursday, José Caballero made a special trip to visit Panama’s National Soccer Team ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup starting up – Image Credit: Federación Panameña de Fútbol
Although there was no match, he described the trip as “a great moment.”
“I enjoyed every second of it. I just hope they can do their best in the World Cup.”
Whatever occurred during Caballero’s special visit on his off-day must have stuck with him because as soon as the Yankees began their warm-ups the next day on Friday, he was out on the field with a soccer ball, enjoying some footy with teammates at the Rogers Centre.
On Tuesday at Yankee Stadium, it was the very same scene with Caballero juggling and passing the soccer ball around the diamond.
Now as Wednesday rolls around, it’s time for Panama’s as well.
In a similar fashion to March of 2023 when Caballero helped contribute to Panama recording the country’s first-ever win in a World Baseball Classic, a 12-5 victory against Chinese Taipei.
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