Barcelona club has set a new plan for its young Egyptian player Hamza Abdel Karim, after his appearance with the Egyptian national team in the 2026 World Cup.
Barcelona recently announced signing Hamza Abdel Karim (18 years old) from Al Ahly, after activating the purchase clause in his contract, following his loan move to the Catalan club last January, and playing several matches with the youth team.
Barcelona had signed Abdel Karim to play with the reserve team (Barça Atlètic), but according to the Spanish newspaper "Sport", the young player has become in a better position with the club's officials, after participating with the Egyptian national team in the World Cup.
Hamza played as a substitute in the first 4 matches the Egyptian national team played in the 2026 World Cup, against Belgium, New Zealand and Iran in the group stage, and Australia in the round of 32, while he was content to sit on the bench against Argentina in the round of 16.
Barcelona's plan for Hamza Abdel Karim's future
"Sport" indicated that the current direction inside Barcelona is not to integrate Hamza Abdel Karim into the reserve team's project, but rather to consider another path by giving him the opportunity to appear with the first team.
The Catalan newspaper described Abdel Karim as a "classic striker" with a strong build, distinguished by his good defending, and has a lot to develop in almost all aspects of the game, which he proved by scoring 6 goals in two months with the youth team.
Accordingly, the Egyptian player is considered an alternative option to strengthen the first team's attack, especially after the departure of Robert Lewandowski, and it is not ruled out that he will also be loaned to a team in the first or second division to gain experience.
Hamza is expected to undergo the preparation period for the new season with Barcelona's first team, which begins on July 13, but he is likely to get a few days of rest beforehand after participating in the World Cup.
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