Football: Hamza Abdelkarim, the new Egyptian star of FC Barcelona

Hamza Abdelkarim, an 18-year-old Egyptian striker, made headlines as the top scorer of the preseason with FC Barcelona, a club he joined last February. On Wednesday, July 19 at 6 PM UTC, he faced his former club Al Ahly during the Joan Gamper trophy held at Camp Nou, a key moment to showcase his growth. Published: August 19, 2026 Hamza Abdelkarim, wearing the Egypt jersey during the 2026 World Cup against Australia. During the tournament, he shared a room with Mohamed Salah and became the youngest Egyptian to compete in the World Cup. Abdelkarim had a dream summer that set the stage for his preparation with FC Barcelona. This young talent, born in Cairo 18 years ago, signed on loan, with an option to buy, to Barcelona last February from Al Ahly. During the World Cup, Barcelona exercised their purchase option, officially signing the player until 2029 for an estimated fee of 1.5 million euros, a decision that quickly paid off during their training. Scoring three goals in five matches, including a double against Birmingham last July, Abdelkarim emerged as the leading scorer for his club in the preseason. His coach, Hansi Flick, expressed satisfaction: "A striker must be alert; when there’s a situation in the penalty area, you have to be present, and he was. I think this will give him a lot of confidence in the coming weeks." Barcelona is in need of an attacker, especially since Robert Lewandowski, Ferran Torres, and Marcus Rashford have left. Without a genuine goalscorer, the Catalan club may give a chance to a young player who has already impressed his coach. "I think he is very humble. His mindset is right. He always gives his best, and as I said, he has potential, a lot of potential," Flick stated. Abdelkarim showed exemplary behavior, even foregoing his vacation after the World Cup to rejoin the professional group of FC Barcelona from day one. On Wednesday against Al Ahly, he had the opportunity to demonstrate the progress he had made in less than a year with the Blaugranas and possibly establish himself as a starter for the Barcelona season. This match marked the first time an African club was invited to this gala event.