Who is Hamza Abdelkarim? Egyptian teenager scores twice on debut
The 18-year-old shone in a friendly against Birmingham, and Barcelona has already activated his €1.5 million release clause.
The 18-year-old shone in a friendly against Birmingham, and Barcelona has already activated his €1.5 million release clause.
Barcelona is slowly revealing its assets for the new season, and one of the most talked-about arrivals is coming from the shadows. While the spotlight is on Ferran Torres's future and Paris Saint-Germain's interest, coach Hansi Flick is pushing 18-year-old Egyptian forward Hamza Abdelkarim into the spotlight. In his unofficial debut for the senior team, he scored both goals in a 2-2 draw against Birmingham City.
The match, played on August 3, 2026, was the first chance for fans to see the young Egyptian live, and he introduced himself in style. He scored the first goal from the penalty spot, while for the second, he pounced on a rebound after a shot by Roony Bardghji and slotted it home. Although Birmingham eventually won on penalties, the night belonged to Abdelkarim.
After the match, coach Hansi Flick was full of praise. "Hamza Abdelkarim is very humble," Flick said at a press conference, as reported by The Athletic. The youngster took less than five minutes to prove that point. While patiently giving interviews to reporters after the game, the stadium announcer interrupted him, prompting him to joke with a smile, "They saved me!"-making it clear that facing the media was harder than the match itself.
When asked about his impressive debut and two goals, he humbly replied, "The whole team helped me; it was a collective effort." When journalists asked about rumors that he shared a room with Egyptian star Mohamed Salah during the World Cup, he shook his head with a shy smile and briefly said, "Same room? No!"
The story of Hamza Abdelkarim began in November 2025, when Barcelona scouts spotted him at the U-17 World Cup. Sporting director Deco recognized his potential and, in February 2026, arranged his initial loan move from Egyptian club Al Ahly. He made his debut for the youth teams in March, scoring in a 2-2 draw against Huesca U-19, and finished the season with six goals in 11 appearances for Juvenil A, with whom he also won the league title.
His incredible development was further confirmed by a hat-trick against Monaco in the youth league, where he found the net three times in just half an hour. Monaco coach Nestor Aparicio was impressed. "During the week, we tried to warn our players about how strong he is in the air, that he's a top finisher from the first touch, and how powerful he is. We strongly emphasized the need to prevent him from receiving the ball in the box. But he was simply unstoppable. He was a hammer to every ball in the air. He finished everything," Aparicio told FIFA's website.
In May 2026, an unexpected call-up to the senior Egyptian national team for the World Cup arrived, making him the youngest player to represent the country at a World Cup. Barcelona responded in June by activating his release clause worth €1.5 million (approximately £1.3 million or $1.7 million), confirming that they have serious plans for the young striker.
Standing at 182 centimeters with impressive physical strength, Abdelkarim possesses all the attributes of a classic center-forward. An anonymous source from the dressing room told The Athletic: "Hamza Abdelkarim has the qualities of a very good number 9." Another source close to the player added: "Hamza is never satisfied with what he has achieved; he always wants more. The whole world is at his feet, and this is just the beginning."
His brother Youssef shared an old photo on social media of Hamza wearing an Al Ahly shirt and him wearing a Barcelona one, with the caption: "From our family club to our dream club."
While the young Egyptian impresses, Ferran Torres's future remains uncertain. In an interview with NBC on August 3, Torres commented on PSG's interest: "PSG's interest? Being wanted by these teams is good. I have a contract with Barcelona. It's true that in football you never know what can happen, but since I have a contract, I can wait and decide for myself."
Torres also sent a clear message to the club's management: "What does Barça need to do? Show that they really love me, that they came to negotiate. In the end, it all comes down to a conversation." His comments suggest that contract extension talks haven't even started yet, opening the door for speculation about his departure.
