Michail Antonio featured as a second-half substitute as Jamaica were defeated 4-1 by Panama in their final 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup group-stage clash, and were subsequently eliminated from the competition.
The Reggae Boyz went into their third Group C fixture off the back of a 1-0 loss at the hands of Guatemala and a 2-1 win over Guadeloupe, level on points with Guatemala and three behind Panama in the race for a top-two finish.
But a fourth-minute opener from Ismael Díaz set the tone for a tough outing against eventual group-winners Panama, who went into half-time 3-1 up in Austin, Texas, with Díaz completing his hat-trick thanks to two further strikes either side of an Amari'i Bell consolation.
Antonio came on for his third appearance at the tournament, and his 24th Jamaica cap, as a 72nd-minute replacement for Aston Villa's Leon Bailey, but he was ultimately unable to help reduce the deficit any further, and Tomás Rodríguez put gloss on the scoreline with a fourth for Panama a minute from the death.
The result, together with Guatemala's 3-2 win over Guadeloupe, left Jamaica third in the Group C standings with three points, bringing the curtain down on their participation in this year's Gold Cup.
Despite that disappointment, Antonio will take plenty of encouragement from his first three appearances on the pitch since he broke his leg in a serious car accident in December, that saw him sidelined for the second half of the domestic 2024/25 campaign.
