Tomás Abdiel Rodríguez Mena

Rodríguez's 2025 Gold Cup left a mark on Panamanian football history: he became the first Panamanian to score in each of his first three appearances at the tournament, finding the net against Guadeloupe, Guatemala and Jamaica. Sofascore named him the country's best player of 2024.

The forward came through at Alianza FC, making his professional debut there in October 2016 and staying until 2020, when he moved on to Sporting San Miguelito. He remained under contract with Sporting for four years, though loan moves took him elsewhere for much of that period — first to Monagas, then to Deportivo Saprissa in Costa Rica from January 2026. He was at Saprissa when Alianza lifted the Liga Panameña de Fútbol Apertura 2022 title, a trophy from his old club's history rather than his own since he had already left for Sporting by the time of that final, which Sporting lost.

His form at Saprissa — seven goals in 25 appearances and a Costa Rican Cup winner's medal — set up a permanent switch. Saprissa and Sporting San Miguelito split his transfer fee, and Rodríguez signed with Barcelona SC on a free transfer. He arrives in Ecuador with 15 caps for Panama and a reputation built on goals scored far from home, in Venezuela and Costa Rica alike.