The Copa América is South America's major tournament in senior men's soccer and determines the continental champion. Until 1967, the tournament was known as South American Championship. It is the oldest continental championship in the world.
Panama are not members of the South American football confederation CONMEBOL. But because CONMEBOL only has ten member associations, guest nations have regularly been invited since 1993.
The two teams had met in four previous encounters, the latest being a friendly held at the Estadio Ramón Tahuichi Aguilera in Santa Cruz, which Panama won 3–1. This match marked Panama's debut in Copa América, making them the third Central American country to appear at the tournament, after Costa Rica and Honduras.
^"Panama debuts in Copa America with victory over Bolivia". CONMEBOL. 6 June 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
^"Match 7 : Panama vs Bolivia". Copa América Centenario. 6 June 2016. Archived from the original on 6 June 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
^ abcdefgh"Referee Assignments for Copa America Centenario Matches". Copa América Centenario. 6 June 2016. Archived from the original on 27 June 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
^"Referees for the next matches". CONMEBOL. 4 June 2016. Archived from the original on 6 June 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
^"Argentina 5 (Messi 3) - Panamá 0" [Argentina 5 (Messi 3) - Panama 0] (in Spanish). CONMEBOL. 10 June 2016. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
^"Match 16 : Argentina vs Panama". Copa América Centenario. 10 June 2016. Archived from the original on 9 June 2016. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
^"Dobletes de Alexis y Vargas clasifica a Chile" [Braces for Alexis and Vargas qualify Chile] (in Spanish). CONMEBOL. 14 June 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
^"Match 23 : Chile vs Panama". Copa América Centenario. 14 June 2016. Archived from the original on 9 June 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2016.