Panama, who made their first-ever World Cup appearance, lost all three group-stage games. Before the 2-1 defeat to Tunisia on Thursday, Panama had lost 3-0 to Belgium and 6-1 to England.

"We knew it would be like that... This is the first World Cup for Panama. We represent a region [Central America] where football is played at a slower pace than in Europe. There are almost no footballers who play in Europe in our team, which makes the situation worse... Panama should improve pace, our players should adjust to this rhythm... We should always remember that the final result is only achieved after 90 minutes. That's why we need to improve our concentration," Penedo told journalists.

The 36-year-old added that he regretted that Italy had not qualified for the tournament, and he was therefore unable to face their goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.

"Some people point out my physical resemblance to [Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi] Buffon... Of course, I'd like to face him, as he is the best goalkeeper in the world. Unfortunately, it's impossible, as Italy don't play at the World Cup," Penedo said.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup kicked off on June 14 and will continue until July 15, with the matches being played in 11 cities across Russia.