Dries Mertens opened the scoring just after the break, volleying superbly from the corner of the box, before Romelu Lukaku then doubled the lead with a terrifically executed diving header from Kevin De Bruyne's ball. Lukaku then completed his own double, finding himself clean through before dinking over the keeper.
Panama promised passion and fighting spirit and we now know what they meant as two goals from Romelu Lukaku helped to settle a bruising and often frustrating encounter in Belgium’s favour.
Lukaku struck twice after Dries Mertens had opened the scoring in Sochi with a wonderful dipping volley early in the second half.
All three were splendid goals for different reasons but this was a tie littered with stoppages, niggling fouls and eight yellow cards, five of them shown to Panama.
Romelu Lukaku got Belgium off to a roaring start at the World Cup, scoring twice in their 3-0 win over Panama
Just after the start of the second half, the ball dropped to Dries Mertens and he converted superbly to open the scoring
The ball was sent flying across the face of goal and Jaime Penedo, the Panama goalkeeper, could do nothing to stop it
Lukaku then got his name on the scoresheet, latching on to Kevin De Bruyne's ball with a fine diving header to double the lead
Then just six minutes later, the Manchester United marksman found himself clean through before dinking over to make it 3-0
Lukaku celebrates after ensuring the match was put beyond all doubt, securing a perfect start for both him and Belgium
MATCH FACTS AND PLAYER RATINGS
Belgium (3-4-3): Courtois 6; Alderweireld 6, Boyata 6, Vertonghen 6; Meunier 6, Witsel 7 (Chadli 90), De Bruyne 8, Carrasco 6 (Dembele 74, 6); Mertens 7.5 (T.Hazard 83), Lukaku 7.5, E.Hazard 7.
Goals: Mertens 47, Lukaku 69, 75.
Bookings: Meunier, Vertonghen, De Bruyne.
Manager: Roberto Martinez 7.
Panama (4-1-4-1): Penedo 6.5; Murillo 6.5, Escobar 6, R.Torres 6.5, Davis 5; Gomez 6.5; Barcenas 6 (G.Torres 64), Godoy 6, Cooper 5, Rodriguez 5 (Diaz 64); Perez 5 (Tejada 73).
Bookings: Davis, Barcenas, Cooper, Murillo, Godoy.
Manager: Hernan Gomez 6
Referee: Janny Sikazwe (Zambia) 6.5
Attendace: 43,257
Kevin De Bruyne’s patience snapped in the closing stages when he sank his studs into the midriff of substitute Luis Tejada and was perhaps fortunate to see yellow and not red.
England will take note. They need composure when they meet the Central American minnows of Group G on Sunday.
It was the biggest day in the history of Panamanian football.
An estimated 5,000 supporters had made the trip around the globe including president Juan Carlos Varela and former New York Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera to witness their World Cup debut.
The neutral support swung behind the underdogs in Sochi and the volume increased as they kept their illustrious opponents at bay in the first half.
Belgium actually opened a healthy tempo, creating good early chances but were unable to take any of them and they became bogged down.
The pitches are playing slow and heavily in Russian. Roberto Martinez had stopped short of complaining ahead of the game but mentioned his players prefer it to be shorter than 25mm, which is the length of most of the World Cup grass.
Neither team were permitted to train on the pitch on the eve of the game in order to protect the surface.
Panama were totally happy to be slow and frustrate. They were falling down injured, calling for treatment and taking their time getting the ball back into play from early in the first half.
They refused to yield when it came to contact and were not afraid to get physical, testing the fuse of De Bruyne and Eden Hazard.
Hernan Gomez, the Panama boss, makes his way down the tunnel prior to the Group G match against Belgium
Both teams line up ahead of their respective anthems in front of a packed house at Sochi's Fisht Stadium
Panama's Armando Cooper attempts an audacious overhead kick as Toby Alderweireld (left) and Axel Witsel (right) watch on
Panama's goalkeeper Jaime Penedo rushes out to smother the ball after Romelu Lukaku attempts to slide one past him
Referee Janny Sikazwe brandishes a yellow card to Paris Saint-Germain and Belgium defender Thomas Meunier
Eric Davis launched De Bruyne into the air within four minutes. Here was a sign of things to come. Two of the Panamanians had been shown yellow cards before the interval, more followed.
Roman Torres, the heaviest player in the tournament, weighing in at nearly 15 and a half stones of muscle and dreadlocks, kept Lukaku well shackled until the Manchester United striker escaped to score in the second half.
Panama’s commitment and passion was not in question and whatever they were doing, it was having an impact on Belgium, who struggled for fluency, with De Bruyne deployed deeper than he is at Manchester City.
When Belgium did find a way through, experience goalkeeper Jaime Penedo was in decent form.
Penedo made the first save from Yannick Carrasco after a wonderful dummy from Hazard and then again from Mertens.
Hazard ought to have settled the nerves, pouncing on a poor back-pass from Torres but the Belgium captain buried the chance into the side-netting from a tight angle.
Torres produced a remarkable and slightly fortuitous clearance to stop Lukaku tapping in a cross from De Bruyne, Mertens sliced wide this way and that, Penedo denied Hazard again and smothered bravely at the feet of Lukaku.
After a ball is squared across the six-yard box, Panama's Roman Torres slides in to take the ball from Lukaku's feet
Belgium boss Roberto Martinez marches back to his bench as he rues a glorious opportunity missed by his team
Jose Luis Rodriguez of Panama shoots at goal but Thibaut Courtois (left) and Alderweireld do enough to snuff out the chance
After a break down the wing, Eden Hazard can only do enough to find the side netting as another opportunity goes begging
The Chelsea superstar wheels away with his head in his hands following the missed opportunity in the first half
Premier League superstars Hazard (left) and Kevin De Bruyne (right) discuss how best to break down the Panama defence
As half-time approached, still level and having survived the early storm when they were sliced open easily, Panama began to venture forward and the noise levels increased inside the Fisht Stadium.
Torres and Armando Cooper registered their team’s first efforts at goal, both off target and they were cheered back into the tunnel at half-time.
Mertens’ fabulous goal, two minutes into the second half, brought their momentum grinding to a halt.
Torres and Fidel Escobar took turns in clearing a cross but were only able to work the ball back to Mertens on the right and he fired a looping volley over the diving goalkeeper and into the far corner.
Still Panama refused to lie down and would have levelled soon afterwards had Thibaut Courtois not been alert to dash from his goal line and block as Michael Murillo burst through.
Lukaku settled it. His first a diving header to convert a delightful cross, supplied from the left by De Bruyne with the outside of his right boot.
His second a neat finish clipped over onrushing ‘keeper Penedo after a pass by Hazard.
But it wasn't long after the break before the European side found themselves in front, courtesy of Mertens' strike
The goalkeeper was left helpless as the ball flew past him and into the back of the net to open the scoring
The players flock to the goalscorer after he netted the first goal of Belgium's World Cup campaign, but by no means the last
Lukaku was quick to double Belgium's lead, taking his chance expertly by heading home from just six yards out
The players rush to the striker to congratulate him after Belgium gave themselves a comfortable two-goal cushion
It wasn't long before he doubled his own tally, chipping goalkeeper Penedo to ensure the result was beyond all doubt
Lukaku celebrates his second goal following a comfortable afternoon for the Belgians in Sochi
Following the final whistle, Belgium players walk towards their travelling fans and applaud their support
The team hold hands and cheer in front of their supporters following a practically perfect start to their campaign
In contrast, a dejected Panama side are consigned to defeat but still offer their fans their acknowledgement
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