Is Egypt’s Hamza Abdelkarim set to be Barcelona’s next breakout star?

What the report says

Barcelona’s search for a successor to Robert Lewandowski has unexpectedly centered on Hamza Abdelkarim, an 18-year-old Egyptian striker whose strong preseason has drawn attention in Spain and at home. According to Al Jazeera, Abdelkarim scored four goals in five preseason matches, finishing as Barcelona’s top scorer in the summer campaign. He also found the net against his former club Al Ahly in the Joan Gamper Trophy, although he did not celebrate the goal.

The report says Abdelkarim’s rise has been rapid. He had only one senior appearance for Al Ahly before joining Barcelona on a low-risk arrangement that began as a loan and later became permanent in June, when the Catalan club paid 1.5 million euros for his transfer. He impressed with Barcelona’s Under-19 side, scoring six times in 11 matches, and he also gained visibility with Egypt’s youth and senior national teams, including appearances at the 2025 U17 World Cup and at the 2026 World Cup.

Al Jazeera reports that Barcelona have since moved to protect their investment by seeking a much larger buyout clause in his contract, while also managing expectations around first-team minutes. Coach Hansi Flick has said the teenager will get opportunities, but that he must be patient. Abdelkarim has already made his official debut, coming on late in Barcelona’s 5-2 win over Rayo Vallecano on August 31.