Barcelona supporters spent the summer debating who would succeed Robert Lewandowski as the club’s leading striker after the forward’s top-scoring four-season run ended with his move to Major League Soccer.
At the start of preseason, the 18-year-old Egyptian was hardly the obvious answer. Just 12 months earlier, he had played only once at senior level, appearing for Cairo club Al Ahly.
His profile changed after Barcelona’s pursuit of Argentinian forward Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid fell apart and the club completed a €10 million ($11.5 million) deal for Gabriel Jesus on the September 1 transfer deadline. Abdelkarim emerged from relative obscurity to dominate football conversations in both Catalonia and Egypt.
The striker scored four goals in five preseason matches, including against his boyhood club Al Ahly in the Joan Gamper Trophy. That match traditionally introduces Barcelona’s squad to supporters and marks the start of the league campaign, but Abdelkarim chose not to celebrate after finding the net.
“Hamza offers something different,” said Adrian Healey, ESPN’s La Liga match commentator, speaking to Al Jazeera.
His physical strength and commanding presence in the penalty area have led fans in Egypt and Barcelona to compare him with Erling Haaland.
Barcelona reached a low-risk agreement with Al Ahly during the winter transfer window to bring Abdelkarim to Spain. His original six-month loan was reduced to three months because of paperwork complications, but he compensated for the lost time by scoring six goals in 11 appearances for the club’s under-19 team.
He had also made an impact for Egypt at the 2025 U17 World Cup, contributing two goals and an assist in four matches.
Despite his limited senior experience, Abdelkarim performed well enough for Egypt coach Hossam Hassan to select the uncapped teenager for the World Cup 2026 squad.
Veteran forward Mostafa Mohammed was omitted in favour of Abdelkarim, who made his senior international debut against Brazil in a friendly and subsequently appeared in four World Cup matches.
Following advice from Mohamed Salah, the striker skipped his planned holiday after Egypt’s elimination by Argentina in the round of 16 and returned immediately to Barcelona.
“Mohamed Salah is always in contact with me, and I follow everything he says,” Abdelkarim told Egypt’s OnSport after Barcelona won the Joan Gamper Trophy. “He is someone to learn from, and the success he has achieved did not happen by chance.”
Guidance from a player of Salah’s calibre has helped accelerate Abdelkarim’s development.
Barcelona decided to make the arrangement permanent in June, paying Al Ahly €1.5 million ($1.75 million).
“I am not surprised by Hamza’s emergence at all,” said Egyptian football content creator Ismail el-Hamalawy, who has closely followed the striker’s progress. “His performances at the World Cup made it clear how ready he is.”
“He is the striker Egypt has been missing for two decades,” el-Hamalawy added.
Mido remains the only Egyptian-born player to have appeared in La Liga. He developed at Zamalek before leaving Egypt at 17 in 2000 and went on to play in Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, France, Italy and England.
While Egyptians followed Mido’s career through newspapers and local television programmes, Abdelkarim’s progress can now be followed online in real time.
Barcelona is working to strengthen Abdelkarim’s contract and add a substantially higher buyout clause. At present, the 18-year-old could leave for €15 million ($17 million), prompting the club to consider raising the figure to €150 million ($174 million) to deter potential suitors.
After spending the opening two league matches on the bench, Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has repeatedly insisted that the young striker will receive his opportunity.
“He deserves to play, and he will play,” Flick said. “I see him improving every day. He has the right attitude and mentality.”
Giving such an inexperienced player greater responsibility could still prove risky, particularly as Barcelona continue to compete on multiple fronts.
“He will have to be patient, but he will get minutes,” Healey said. “I do not think the signing of Gabriel Jesus changes much for him, because Jesus looks like a short-term solution. Abdelkarim might have played fewer matches if Alvarez had signed.”
On August 31, Abdelkarim replaced Raphinha during the final five minutes of Barcelona’s 5-2 victory over Rayo Vallecano, securing his official debut.
Now that his debut has been completed, the striker can turn his attention to scoring his first official goal for the La Liga champions.