José Eduardo Bernal Chong

José Bernal Chong first made his mark on an unusual stage: a penalty shootout. At the 2023 Maurice Revello Tournament, Panama's under-23 side drew 1-1 with Morocco in the quarter-final, and it was Bernal's spot-kick that helped push the shootout through to 9-8. Panama went on to beat Mexico 4-1 in the final.

He came through the academy at Atlético Chiriquí, near his home town of David, and left the club in the middle of 2023: 16 appearances, two goals and two assists. Deportivo Pasto signed him that July on an undisclosed fee, and before the year was out he had been handed his senior international debut for Panama, coming on against Bolivia.

At Pasto he has settled into the role of a squad option rather than a fixture in the side, featuring across league and cup football over several seasons without ever holding a settled run of starts. A loan to Llaneros FC in the first half of 2025 brought only two appearances, and he returned to Pasto that August once it ended. In total he has made around 35 appearances for Pasto, with two goals and two assists.

He remains part of Panama's set-up beyond that under-23 title, having earned senior caps alongside his club football.