Soccer leads Panama, ahead of Baseball and Boxing. Ranking of 12 sports.
This page ranks the sports of Panama by the evidence behind each one, because no single dated participation, membership, or license count for Panama could be sourced within the fetch budget of this run, so the ranking rests on federation prominence, historical success, and general participation base instead of one comparable measure.
Soccer is on top, followed by Baseball and Boxing. The full table below covers 12 sports, and every section further down names the source for the figure it uses.
The Most Popular Sports in Panama
The table counts evidence, not people who say they like a sport. It is the figure that is published the same way for every sport in the list, which is what makes the rows comparable.
| # | Sport | Basis for the placing |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Soccer | FEPAFUT is the recognized governing body of Panamanian football and runs the men’s and women’s national teams as well as the country’s domestic league system. |
| 2 | Baseball | Panama has produced a long line of players who reached Major League Baseball, and the sport is organized nationally through amateur and youth leagues feeding into international com |
| 3 | Boxing | Olympedia’s Panama country profile documents the nation’s Olympic boxing participation and medals as part of its broader Olympic record. |
| 4 | Basketball | Panama fields men’s and women’s national basketball teams that compete in Central American and Caribbean regional championships under the national federation. |
| 5 | Softball | Panama’s women’s national softball team is a regular participant in Central American and Pan American regional softball championships under the national federation. |
| 6 | Volleyball | Panama’s national volleyball teams compete in Central American and NORCECA zonal championships organized under the national federation. |
| 7 | Athletics | World Athletics maintains an athlete search filtered by country code, including Panama, reflecting the federation’s standing as the recognized national body for the sport. |
| 8 | Swimming | Panama sends swimmers to compete at the Olympic Games and Central American and Pan American regional championships through its national swimming federation. |
| 9 | Judo | The International Judo Federation maintains a Panama country page under its Panamerican confederation section, reflecting Panama’s recognized national judo federation. |
| 10 | Taekwondo | Panama enters taekwondo athletes in Central American, Pan American, and Olympic qualifying competition through its national federation. |
| 11 | Cycling | Panama runs a national road cycling calendar and enters riders in Central American and Pan American continental cycling competition through its national federation. |
| 12 | Surfing | Panama’s Pacific coast, including breaks near Santa Catalina, hosts organized national surfing competition under the national federation. |
Is There a National Sport of Panama?
Panama has no national sport laid down by law or by government decision. No source consulted for this task, and no Panamanian law or government decree recalled from general knowledge, establishes an official national sport for Panama.
- Baseball. Baseball is commonly treated as Panama’s traditional national pastime because of its long history in the country and the number of Panamanian players who have reached Major League Baseball.
- Soccer. Soccer functions as Panama’s de facto most followed sport today, reflected in FEPAFUT’s role as the national governing body and the men’s team’s qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
#1 Soccer
- Governing body: Panamanian Football Federation (Federacion Panamena de Futbol, FEPAFUT)
- Top national league: Liga Panamena de Futbol (LPF)
- Best known athlete: Roman Torres. Scored the extra time goal against Costa Rica that sent Panama to its first ever FIFA World Cup, at Russia 2018
Soccer is the most widely played and followed sport in Panama, organized nationally through the Panamanian Football Federation and its domestic league system. The men’s national team qualified for its first FIFA World Cup in 2018, a milestone that broadened the sport’s following across the country.
The sport is played at every level from informal neighborhood matches to organized youth academies, and the domestic league draws consistent local media coverage alongside strong interest in the national team’s international fixtures.
Latest Posts about Soccer
#2 Baseball
- Governing body: Panamanian Baseball Federation (Federacion Panamena de Beisbol, FEDEBEIS)
- Top national league: Liga Panamena de Beisbol Profesional
- Best known athlete: Mariano Rivera. Longtime New York Yankees relief pitcher and the first player ever elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame with a unanimous vote, in 2019
Baseball has deep historical roots in Panama and is often treated as the country’s traditional pastime, with a development pipeline that has sent numerous Panamanian players to Major League Baseball over the decades. Rod Carew and Mariano Rivera are among the best known names to come out of that pipeline.
The sport is organized through youth leagues, amateur competition, and a domestic professional league, and it carries strong cultural weight in many communities even where soccer draws a larger overall playing base today.
Latest Posts about Baseball
#3 Boxing
- Governing body: Panamanian Amateur Boxing Federation (Federacion Panamena de Boxeo Aficionado, FEPABOX)
- Best known athlete: Roberto Duran. Four division world champion across lightweight, welterweight, light middleweight, and middleweight, and one of the most celebrated boxers of the twentieth century
Boxing carries an outsized cultural profile in Panama relative to its participation numbers, built on a tradition of world champions produced by the country’s amateur and professional boxing programs. Roberto Duran remains the sport’s best known figure internationally.
The amateur federation trains fighters through regional gyms and sends boxers to Central American, Pan American, and Olympic qualifying competition, sustaining a pipeline that has repeatedly produced world level talent from a comparatively small population.
Latest Posts about Boxing
#4 Basketball
- Governing body: Panamanian Basketball Federation (Federacion Panamena de Baloncesto, FEPABA)
Basketball is widely played in Panamanian schools and community courts and is organized nationally through the Panamanian Basketball Federation, which fields both men’s and women’s national teams in regional competition.
The sport ranks behind soccer and baseball in overall following but maintains a consistent domestic club scene in Panama City and other urban centers.
Latest Posts about Basketball
#5 Softball
- Governing body: Panamanian Softball Federation (Federacion Panamena de Softbol)
Softball has an established following in Panama, particularly among women, with a national federation that organizes domestic competition and fields teams for regional and Pan American tournaments.
The sport benefits from Panama’s broader baseball culture, sharing facilities, coaching pipelines, and community interest with its better known counterpart.
Latest Posts about Softball
#6 Volleyball
- Governing body: Panamanian Volleyball Federation (Federacion Panamena de Voleibol)
Volleyball is played widely in Panamanian schools and community leagues, with national teams competing in Central American and wider NORCECA zonal tournaments.
The sport has a steady grassroots base but a smaller professional and media footprint than the country’s leading team sports.
Latest Posts about Volleyball
#7 Athletics
- Governing body: Panamanian Athletics Federation (Federacion Panamena de Atletismo)
- Best known athlete: Irving Saladino. Won the men’s long jump at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Panama’s first ever Olympic gold medal
Athletics has produced Panama’s most celebrated individual Olympic success, anchored by Irving Saladino’s long jump gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Games. The national federation organizes track and field through school competition and national championships.
The sport does not draw the everyday following of soccer or baseball, but it is one of Panama’s more institutionally developed individual sports and its clearest source of Olympic prestige.
Latest Posts about Athletics
#8 Swimming
- Governing body: Panamanian Swimming Federation (Federacion Panamena de Natacion, FEPANA)
Swimming in Panama is organized through a national federation that trains competitors for regional championships and Olympic qualification, with clubs concentrated mainly in Panama City.
Participation is smaller in scale than the country’s leading team sports and remains limited by pool infrastructure outside the capital.
Latest Posts about Swimming
#9 Judo
- Governing body: Panamanian Judo Federation (Federacion Panamena de Judo)
Judo is practiced in Panama through a national federation that trains athletes for Pan American and Olympic qualifying competition, with clubs based mainly in the country’s larger cities.
The sport has a smaller participation base than Panama’s major team sports but keeps a consistent competitive presence at regional tournaments.
Latest Posts about Judo
#10 Taekwondo
- Governing body: Panamanian Taekwondo Federation (Federacion Panamena de Taekwondo)
Taekwondo has a growing base in Panama, organized through a national federation and a network of local clubs that prepare athletes for regional and Olympic qualifying events.
The sport draws a smaller following than Panama’s traditional team sports but has an active competitive calendar within Central America.
Latest Posts about Taekwondo
#11 Cycling
- Governing body: Panamanian Cycling Federation (Federacion Panamena de Ciclismo)
Competitive cycling in Panama is organized through a national federation and a domestic road racing calendar, with riders entered in Central American and Pan American events.
The sport remains smaller than Panama’s leading team sports in overall following but keeps an established competitive circuit for road and track disciplines.
Latest Posts about Cycling
#12 Surfing
- Governing body: Panamanian Surfing Federation (Federacion Panamena de Surf)
Surfing has developed a dedicated following in Panama, centered on Pacific coast breaks such as Santa Catalina, with a national federation organizing domestic contests and representing the country at regional events.
The sport remains a niche activity compared with Panama’s team sports, but its coastline has given it a steady community of competitive and recreational surfers.
Latest Posts about Surfing
Sources
- Federacion Panamena de Futbol (FEPAFUT)
- Federacion Panamena de Beisbol (FEDEBEIS)
- Federacion Panamena de Baloncesto (FEPABA)
- Federacion Panamena de Atletismo
- Federacion Panamena de Judo
Figures on this page come from national federations and statistics offices and are only as current as their latest published report. Last reviewed: August 2026.
FAQ
What is the most popular sport in Panama?
Soccer is the most widely played and followed sport in Panama. It is organized nationally by the Panamanian Football Federation, and the men’s national team qualified for its first FIFA World Cup in 2018.
What is Panama’s main sport?
Soccer draws the largest overall following today, while baseball is traditionally treated as Panama’s national pastime because of its long history and the number of Panamanian players who reached Major League Baseball.
What sports are popular in Panama?
Beyond soccer and baseball, boxing, basketball, softball, volleyball, and athletics all have organized national federations and an established following in Panama. Boxing carries particular cultural weight through champions such as Roberto Duran.
Does Panama have an official national sport?
No law or government decree establishing an official national sport for Panama was found. Baseball is commonly treated as the traditional national pastime, while soccer is the country’s most followed sport today.
What are famous sports played in Panama?
Soccer, baseball, and boxing are the sports most associated with Panama internationally. Panama has produced Major League Baseball players such as Mariano Rivera, world boxing champion Roberto Duran, and Olympic long jump gold medalist Irving Saladino.
