At 18-years-old, striker Hamza Abdelkarim replaced Egyptian legend Mohamed Salah in the 76th minute of the 1-1 draw against Belgium to become the nation’s youngest-ever player at a World Cup.
The World Cup offers a stage for the world’s football talent to be unearthed and to catch the eye of suitors plotting their next move in the transfer market.
Although Abdelkarim remains in obscurity to much of the viewing public, he has already been discovered by Barcelona’s scouting department.
The Catalan giants decided to activate the buy option from Egyptian top flight side Al Ahly, after Abdelkarim’s promising loan spell since January in the club’s youth ranks.
Why Hossam Hassan Believes In Hamza Abdelkarim
Egypt boss Hossam Hassan led the line himself in 1990 for Egypt and became one of the nation’s most respected and consistent servants.
Calling the shots from the dugout in the United States, Canada and Mexico, he decided to include Egyptian starlet Abdelkarim in his 26-man squad.
Hassan had high praise for Egypt’s number nine before their curtain raiser in Seattle to kick off only their fourth appearance at the World Cup finals.
“When he's come to work with us, I can see that he's a very good player for Egyptian football. It may be a surprise for some, but he has all of the qualities of a strong player.
“He's proved it at Barcelona, and when a player is performing for one of the biggest clubs in the world, he can have a very positive influence on Egyptian football, maybe even very soon.”
In November 2025, Abdelkarim captained his side at the Under 17's World Cup in Qatar, and quickly staked a claim to be involved in the senior setup when Barcelona doubled down on their acquisition.
“We can see it when we're recruiting, and in the matches with the young players. He was playing at such a high level and was already overqualified for youth football,” Hassan added.
“I saw the positive influence he had on the group at the 2025 U-17 World Cup, and I've followed all of his matches for Barcelona.”
A World Cup Opportunity To Announce Himself
The teenager showed glimpses of an athletic striker prowling the penalty box during his cameo against Belgium as Egypt shared the spoils when Mohamed Hany's own-goal cancelled out Emam Ashour's goal.
Mohamed Salah and Manchester City's Omar Marmoush will steal much of the spotlight in the nation's pursuit of asserting Africa's threat to the superior pack, but the supporting cast's performances will certainly impact Egypt's hopes of progressing past the group stages for only the second time.
Abdelkarim's displays in the remaining World Cup group games against New Zealand and Iran could help to justify why Barcelona came knocking, and may foreshadow the eventual changing of the guard among Egypt's best assets.
Even if he falls short of living up to the billing this summer, he has settled into a new environment well at club level and could feature in Hansi Flick’s pre-season preparations as Barcelona gear up to defend their La Liga title.
It will take considerable time to see the best from Abdelkarim and for him to patiently ply his trade on Spanish shores.
To be given the nod at the World Cup and become Barcelona's first Egyptian to play at a World Cup is one step in what seems to be an exciting journey ahead.
