[4][6] The two teams had met eight times previously, including Bolivia's 1–0 group stage victory at the 1995 Copa América.
[19] Their most recent meeting was a 1–1 semifinals draw in the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup at Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, California, with Panama prevailing 5–4 on penalties.
[9][20] Prior to the match, Panama suffered the loss of midfielder José Luis Rodríguez for the remainder of the tournament due to injury.
[26][27] Their most recent meeting was a 3–0 home win for Uruguay in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification in November 2023.
[36] Panama's win in the other match, along with this loss, sealed the United States’ first ever group stage elimination from a major international tournament they hosted.