Panama qualified for the World Cup thanks to a 'ghost goal'.

Despite the world's debate over the "ghost goal" in their 2-1 victory against Costa Rica, the Panamanians are living the sweetest day ever as their national team has reached the World Cup for the first time in history.

Panama's situation ahead of the final matchday is far from favorable. They face second-placed Costa Rica, who have nothing left to play for. Their main rival, the USA, only needs one point against bottom-placed Trinidad & Tobago to qualify directly for the World Cup due to their superior goal difference (+5 compared to Panama's -2).

At best, Panama could only dream of a playoff spot. However, their unexpected victory against Costa Rica, coupled with the US's unbelievable defeat against Trinidad & Tobago, propelled Panama straight to Russia next summer.

Panama's 2-1 victory over Costa Rica is under intense scrutiny as the ball did not cross the goal line in the 1-1 equalizer. The ball, from a corner kick, struck the head of striker Gabriel Torres, who had fallen and was very close to the goal line. A Costa Rican defender then cleared the ball off the line, but the referee still awarded the goal to Panama despite replays showing the ball had not completely crossed the line.

The circumstances leading to Panama's 'ghost goal'.

Note that video assistant referee (VAR) technology has not yet been used in the CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers.

After this "ghost goal," Panama surged with excitement. In the 88th minute, Roman Torres completed his fairytale with a close-range finish. The Rommel Fernandez Stadium practically erupted, as the USA was still trailing Trinidad & Tobago in the other match being played at the same time. When the referee blew the final whistle, a celebratory atmosphere spread throughout the small country. The Panamanian management embraced each other in celebration while the players cheered and waved their national flags.

NUMBER

2. This is Panama's second victory against Costa Rica in 2017. The first was in January at the 2017 Central American Cup.

According to Bongdaplus