Top Goal Scorers For Panama Football Team All-Time: The Panama national football team is quite young, having started in 1937. But in recent years, they’ve improved a lot and are now one of the best teams in Central America. This is because of many skilled players, especially those who score a lot of goals.
Panama’s football future looks great. Many talented young players are joining the team, so they are likely to keep doing well in the coming years.
Top Goal Scorers For Panama Football Team All-Time
In this article, we’ll talk about the top goal scorers in the history of the Panama football team.
1. Luis Tejada
- Career Span: 2001–2018
- Matches: 108
- Goals: 43
- Average: 0.4
Luis Tejada is Panama’s top goal scorer, having scored 43 goals in 108 matches. He’s a strong and skilled striker, known for his ability to score goals in the air and with precise finishing. Tejada has been part of the Panama national football team since 2001.
He played in the qualifications for the 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018 World Cups, as well as in tournaments like the CONCACAF Gold Cup 2005, 2009, 2011, and 2015, and the Copa América Centenario 2016.
The highlight of his career was in the 2018 World Cup, where Panama qualified for the first time. Tejada played in two matches during the tournament. He reached a milestone by playing his 100th international match on March 24, 2017. With 43 goals, he holds the record as Panama’s top goal scorer.
2. Blas Pérez
- Career Span: 2001–2018
- Matches: 122
- Goals: 42
- Average: 0.34
Blas Pérez is another great goal scorer for Panama, having scored 42 goals in 122 matches for the national team. He’s a versatile player who can play as a striker or a winger.
Pérez made his debut for Panama on March 14, 2001, in a friendly match where he substituted Luis Parra and helped Panama win. He played in tournaments like the 2001 UNCAF Nations Cup and a match in the 2005 UNCAF Nations Cup.
He also represented Panama in several major tournaments, including the 2007 Gold Cup, 2009 Gold Cup, 2011 Copa Centroamericana, 2011 Gold Cup, 2013 Copa Centroamericana, 2013 Gold Cup, 2014 Copa Centroamericana, 2015 Gold Cup, and 2016 Copa América Centenario. Pérez’s international career came to an end at the 2018 World Cup, where he played in the first two games of the preliminary round.
3. Gabriel Torres
- Career Span: 2005–present
- Matches: 104
- Goals: 24
- Average: 0.23
Gaby Torres is currently playing for the Panama national team. He has scored 24 goals in 104 matches for the team. Torres is a talented and smart striker, known for his great moves and finishing skills.
He first played for Panama in a FIFA World Cup qualification match against Trinidad and Tobago in October 2005. Torres also led the Panama U-20 team in the 2007 FIFA World Youth Cup in Canada. In May 2018, he was selected in Panama’s 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
4. Luis Ernesto Tapia
- Career Span: 1960–1979
- Matches: 77
- Goals: 20
- Average: 0.26
Luis Ernesto Tapia is one of Panama’s top goal-scorers in football. He scored 20 goals in 77 matches for the national team. He was a part of the team that took part in the World Cup qualifiers for the 1978 World Cup in Argentina.
Tapia had the honor of scoring Panama’s first goal in these qualifiers. He also traveled with the Panama team to Asia and faced the famous Hector Chumpitaz’s Peru team.
5. Jorge Dely Valdés
- Career Span: 1991–2005
- Matches: 48
- Goals: 19
- Average: 0.4
Jorge Dely Valdés was a dangerous striker for the Panama national team, scoring 19 goals in 48 matches. He played for Panama in the 1994, 1998, 2002, and 2006 World Cup Qualifying cycles, totaling 27 games.
He made his debut in a match against Honduras in the May 1991 UNCAF Nations Cup. Valdés represented Panama in the 1995 and 2001 UNCAF Nations Cups. In the 2005 Gold Cup, he scored two goals and led Panama to the final match against the United States. His last international match was in an October 2005 FIFA World Cup qualification match against the United States.
