Egyptian Talent Hamza Abdelkarim Nears Barcelona First-Team Debut
Egypt Independent reports the Egyptian striker trained under Hansi Flick ahead of a possible senior Barcelona debut in the pre-season friendly against CE Europa.
24 July 2026
Updated 1 August 2026
Egyptian striker Hamza Abdelkarim is closing in on his first appearance for Barcelona's senior side, according to Egypt Independent.
The outlet reported on 24 July that Abdelkarim is training with the first team under head coach Hansi Flick at the club's pre-season camp, with Barcelona's opening friendly of the camp against CE Europa scheduled for the following Friday.
Egypt Independent said the friendly offers the forward a valuable chance to impress the German coach — provided Flick gives him minutes on the pitch.
The report traced an unusual route to Catalonia. Abdelkarim played youth football in Malaysia between 2016 and 2020, with FC Kuala Lumpur and in Little League Soccer, before joining Al Ahly's academy in Egypt.
He moved to Barcelona Atletic, the club's B side, on a six-month loan in January 2026, according to the outlet, and his performances persuaded Barcelona to make the deal permanent on a contract running through June 2029.