When the earth moves beneath a visiting team, sport becomes secondary to something more fundamental: the safety of those far from home. Two significant earthquakes struck Panama's southern reaches in the early hours, rattling the ground beneath the New Zealand Football Ferns as they prepared for an international series. All players and staff have been accounted for and are unharmed — a quiet relief in a moment that reminded the world how quickly the ordinary business of competition can be overtaken by nature's indifference.
Football Ferns safe after powerful earthquakes strike Panama
All players and staff accounted for and safe
Mark
So the Ferns were actually in Panama when this happened—they weren't just watching from home?
Mimi
That's right. The whole squad and staff were there, ready to play. They'd travelled for a two-match series with the first game set for Sunday morning.
Luke
And we know they're all accounted for because New Zealand Football put out a statement. But do we know where they were when the quakes hit? Were they at the stadium, at a hotel, training?
Mimi
The statement just says players and staff have been accounted for and are safe. It doesn't specify their location at the time.
Mark
What about the broader picture—how many New Zealanders were in the country?
Mimi
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said 51 were registered there. And importantly, none of them have asked for help.
Luke
That's a useful data point, but "registered" doesn't mean that's everyone. Some people might not register. And no requests for assistance yet doesn't mean the full picture of damage is known.
Mark
Right. So what happens to the matches now?
Mimi
That's still being worked out. New Zealand Football is monitoring the situation with local authorities and organisers, but there's been no announcement yet about whether Sunday's game will go ahead.
Luke
And we don't actually know what the damage is like in Panama itself—the story focuses on the Ferns' safety, which is fair, but the broader impact on the country isn't detailed here.
Mark
Fair point. The earthquakes were serious—7.7 is substantial—but the reporting is necessarily narrow.
Mimi
Which makes sense for a New Zealand audience concerned about their team. But you're right that it leaves questions about Panama itself unanswered.
Il Polso
- A 7.7-magnitude earthquake, followed swiftly by a 6.6 aftershock, struck near Panama's southern tip just before 7am New Zealand time, shaking the ground beneath a visiting football squad.
- The New Zealand Football Ferns, in Panama for a two-match series with their opening fixture set for Sunday, faced sudden uncertainty as tremors disrupted the calm of match preparation.
- New Zealand Football moved quickly to locate every player and staff member, confirming within hours that all were safe and unharmed.
- Fifty-one New Zealanders registered in Panama at the time of the quakes have raised no requests for assistance, and tsunami risk to New Zealand has been ruled out by emergency authorities.
- Whether Sunday's match proceeds, is postponed, or relocated remains unresolved, with officials in active contact with Panamanian authorities and event organisers to chart the safest way forward.
When the earth moves beneath a visiting team, sport becomes secondary to something more fundamental: the safety of those far from home. Two significant earthquakes struck Panama's southern reaches in the early hours, rattling the ground beneath the New Zealand Football Ferns as they prepared for an international series. All players and staff have been accounted for and are unharmed — a quiet relief in a moment that reminded the world how quickly the ordinary business of competition can be overtaken by nature's indifference.
Two powerful earthquakes struck Panama in the early morning hours, sending tremors through the country just as the New Zealand Football Ferns were preparing for an international two-match series. The first quake measured 7.7 in magnitude, followed by a 6.6 aftershock, with the epicentre located near a remote community close to Panama's southern tip at a shallow depth of 10 kilometres.
New Zealand Football acted swiftly, confirming in an official statement that all players and coaching staff had been located and were unharmed. The federation said it was working closely with local authorities, team management, and match organisers to assess conditions and determine next steps, promising further updates through official channels.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade reported 51 New Zealanders were registered in Panama at the time, with none having sought consular assistance. New Zealand's National Emergency Management Agency also assessed the seismic activity and concluded it posed no tsunami threat to New Zealand's shores, a finding consistent with the US Geological Survey's own evaluation.
Attention now turns to the scheduled Sunday fixture, with officials continuing to liaise with Panamanian counterparts to determine whether the match can proceed as planned or will require postponement or relocation.
Two powerful earthquakes rattled Panama in the early morning hours, but the New Zealand Football Ferns—in the country to play a two-match series—were accounted for and safe. The first tremor, measuring 7.7 on the magnitude scale, struck shortly before 7am New Zealand time, followed by a 6.6-magnitude aftershock. The epicenter was located roughly 10 kilometres southwest of Pitaloza Arriba, a remote community near Panama's southern tip, at a depth of 10 kilometres according to the US Geological Survey.
The Ferns had arrived in Panama with their squad and staff to compete in the series, with the opening match scheduled to kick off Sunday morning at 10am local time. Within hours of the quakes, New Zealand Football released a statement confirming that all players and coaching staff had been located and were unharmed. The organisation said it was working closely with local authorities, team management, and match organisers to assess the situation and determine next steps.
"New Zealand Football is in contact with local authorities, team management and match organisers and will continue to monitor the situation," the statement read. The federation pledged to release further updates through official channels as the picture became clearer.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade reported that 51 New Zealanders were registered as being in Panama at the time of the earthquakes. The ministry noted it had received no requests for assistance from any of them. The National Emergency Management Agency moved quickly to assess whether the seismic activity posed any danger to New Zealand itself, concluding that based on available information, the earthquakes were unlikely to have generated a tsunami capable of reaching New Zealand's shores. The US Geological Survey's assessment aligned with that finding.
The immediate concern for New Zealand Football now centres on whether the scheduled Sunday fixture can proceed as planned, or whether the disruption caused by the earthquakes will force postponement or relocation of the matches. Officials continue liaising with Panamanian counterparts and event organisers to determine the safest path forward for both teams.
Citazioni salienti
New Zealand Football is in contact with local authorities, team management and match organisers and will continue to monitor the situation.— New Zealand Football statement
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