The Catalan newspaper "Sport" highlighted the outstanding performance of the young Egyptian international star, Hamza Abdel Karim, alongside the first team of FC Barcelona during the pre-season period for the 2026/2027 season.
The young Egyptian international striker, Hamza Abdel Karim, is set to make his first official appearance in the Barcelona jersey in a match scheduled for 10:30 PM Cairo and Mecca time.
German coach Hansi Flick decided to include Hamza Abdel Karim in the first team's training camp in Barcelona. He has already played against Europa and Birmingham City, scoring two goals, and also featured against Nottingham Forest, Udinese, and Al Ahly in the Joan Gamper Trophy, where he scored a brilliant goal.
"Sport" stated that the adventure of signing Hamza Abdel Karim was initially risky and unexpected, but he has now proven the vision of FC Barcelona's sporting management to be correct.
It was reported that when Barcelona signed Hamza Abdel Karim in January 2026, he had only made nine appearances for Al Ahly's first team, with his total professional playing time not exceeding 360 minutes and having scored no goals in those matches. However, Barcelona's reports were extremely positive, highlighting his immense potential.
The primary factor for FC Barcelona's sporting committee was his brilliant and stunning performance at the U-17 World Cup with the Egyptian national team, led by Ahmed El-Kass.
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From the youth team to the World Cup
Hamza showcased his talent with FC Barcelona's youth team, successfully scoring six goals in the ten matches he played for the Catalan club. He played five matches in the league, two in the Spanish King's Cup, and three in the Champions League.
During the 547 minutes played by the Egyptian national team star, he started seven matches and scored six goals in various but distinctive ways.
Following his brilliant performance with Barcelona's youth team, Hamza was a major surprise in the Egyptian national team's World Cup squad. When the tournament began, the Barcelona player did not disappoint the Egyptians, his coach, or the fans. Although he did not score any goals, his performance was positive. Subsequently, the Catalan club decided to activate the final purchase clause.
A magical pre-season
Barcelona gave Hamza Abdel Karim the opportunity to start the pre-season training for the new season under Flick's leadership. The decisive factor that demonstrated Hamza's excellent mentality was his insistence on not taking a World Cup break and starting training early to prepare well and prove himself to his coach.
Hamza participated in all pre-season matches, winning the admiration of Flick and Barcelona fans. His statistics are extremely positive, having scored four goals in 241 minutes. His on-pitch performance is promising and encouraging. The Egyptian managed to amaze everyone with his strong presence and high goal-scoring instinct.
The Catalan newspaper emphasized that FC Barcelona wishes to renew Hamza's contract, but not at this time, as the Catalan club is currently focused on finishing the transfer window in the best possible way. After that, Hamza's contract will be improved and amended.
