As the 2026 World Cup kicks off, professional soccer players in Panama are celebrating having their own dedicated cooperative, following the creation of Cofutpro this spring. The organisation is supported by the Panamanian Autonomous Cooperative Institute (Ipacoop) and the Panamanian Professional Soccer Players Association (Afutpa).
Cofutpro, the first cooperative made up of professional soccer players in Panama, was granted legal status in March to formalise its work. In particular, the cooperative supports both professional soccer players and people with jobs related to the sport in obtaining financing and acquiring property.
According to national newspaper La Prensa, Representatives from Afutpa, led by its president, Juan Ramón Solís, attended an official ceremony, where Ipacoop shared that the formation of the co-operative was a "historic event," as no similar initiative existed in the country, and was “a momentous step that strengthens the organisation, association, and comprehensive development of athletes [by] filling the existing gap in the financial sector for players”.
Writing on Instagram, Erika Vargas, Executive Director of IPACOOP, said: “This initiative opens new opportunities for professional soccer players, promoting a solidarity-based model that fosters collective well-being and the growth of the sports sector.”
Panama currently has just under 500 cooperatives, serving around 213,000 members, and this September will be hosting the ICA and Cooperatives of the Americas Global Conference and General Assemblies 2026 under the theme Building Bridges: Cooperative Contributions for a Peaceful World.
