Hamza Abdelkarim’s pre-season brace offers Barcelona a free solution

Egypt national team prospect Hamza Abdelkarim netted a brace for FC Barcelona during their 2-2 pre season draw against Birmingham City on Friday evening earning widespread praise from European media.

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Making a pre-season impact

In his second appearance for the first team under manager Hansi Flick, the young forward started the match and played for 62 minutes before being substituted.

Despite Barcelona eventually losing the friendly via a penalty shootout, Abdelkarim was the standout performer scoring both of the Catalan club's goals.

French broadcaster RMC Sport highlighted the Egyptian's performance noting that he is already proving his worth within the senior squad and possesses the potential to emulate the success of his compatriot, Mohamed Salah.

A rapid rise to the Camp Nou

Abdelkarim's journey to the Barcelona first team has been remarkably swift. He initially joined the club's U19 setup on a winter loan from Egyptian giants Al Ahly. During that spell, he scored 6 goals in 11 appearances helping his side secure their league group title.

His impressive youth performances in Spain caught the attention of national team manager Hossam Hassan who included him in Egypt's World Cup 2026 squad. Following the tournament, Barcelona moved to sign the striker permanently on a contract running until 2029.

While French media have dubbed him the "new Salah" this comparison relates more to his high ceiling and nationality than his tactical profile. Abdel Karim operates primarily as a central striker who excels at dropping deep to link up the play before making decisive interventions in the final third.

Commitment & Opportunity

Abdelkarim's dedication is already winning over the coaching staff. According to Spanish newspaper AS, the striker opted against taking a post World Cup summer holiday choosing instead to join Barcelona's pre season camp immediately to fight for his place.

This exemplary attitude which was reportedly praised by Flick, positions the Egyptian as a highly viable internal attacking option.

With the club reportedly still facing financial and logistical difficulties in their pursuit of Argentine forward Julian Alvarez, Abdel Karim is making a compelling case to save Barcelona millions in the transfer market.

Khaled Hegazy |

Editorar, en

Journaliste sportif spécialisé dans la couverture du football et la création de contenu numérique, alliant expérience éditoriale et expertise des médias sociaux.

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