Barcelona believe Egyptian striker Hamza Abdel Karim has become a genuine option to lead the front line. He has proved his technical abilities over the past period, convincing coach Hansi Flick and the Catalan fans of his potential.
That's according to the Spanish newspaper "Sport", which confirmed that Barcelona's gamble on Hamza Abdel Karim has begun to bear fruit. It may have appeared risky and even strange at first.
In January 2026, Barcelona reached an agreement with Al Ahly to sign an out-and-out striker on loan. He had played only nine matches with the Egyptian club's first team.
Time is giving Barcelona's sporting management more reasons to confirm they got the decision right.
Hamza had played only 360 minutes in professional football, failing to score in any of them. Yet Barcelona's reports were glowing, rating his future potential highly.
Remarkable brilliance followed with the Egypt Under-17 team, where he scored 12 goals in 21 matches.
From the youth team to the World Cup
The Cairo-born striker showed his abilities during the final stage of last season with the youth team under Pol Planas, scoring six goals in the ten matches he played in a Barcelona shirt. He turned out in five league matches, two Copa del Rey games and three in the Champions League.
Across those matches, his total playing time reached 547 minutes. Hamza started seven times and scored six goals in his own way.
Those six goals and the impact of playing with Barcelona propelled him to the World Cup.
He was the biggest surprise of the Egypt squad, and he did not perform below expectations. True, he was unable to score, but his impressions were positive and he played four matches at the elite level.
Barcelona then decided to activate the option to buy the player and keep the strong left-footed striker permanently.
A magical pre-season period
The chance to begin pre-season under Hansi Flick was there, and Hamza preferred it to completing his holiday. That decision may have proved decisive in the career of this 18-year-old.
He played every pre-season match and earned the trust of both Flick and the Barcelona fans.
Four goals in 241 minutes told part of the story. His impressions on the pitch were just as promising.
With no other out-and-out striker available, the Egyptian convinced the coaching staff through his presence inside the penalty area and his goalscoring instinct.
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