Barcelona Egyptian forward Hamza Abdelkarim. Photo courtesy of Barcelona.
Abdelkarim, signed from Ahly in a deal completed in June worth a fixed 1.5 million euros with add-ons that could push the total to 6.5 million, has scored three goals in his opening pre-season appearances for the Catalan club, including a brace against Birmingham City on31 July and a further strike against Basel on Saturday.
The teenager's rapid emergence comes at a pivotal moment for Barcelona's attack. Lewandowski departed this summer after his contract expired, ending a four-year spell in which he scored 120 goals for the club, while Ferran Torres completed a move to Paris St-Germain earlier this month. The exits have left coach Hansi Flick with limited established options at centre-forward heading into the new La Liga season.
"He has a lot of potential," Flick told reporters after the Birmingham match, where Abdelkarim opened the scoring from the penalty spot before adding a second from close range. "He's very humble, he has good character. A striker has to be in the box, and he is really good in the air."
The forward's rise has been swift. He joined Barcelona's academy side, Juvenil A, in February on loan from Al Ahly, scoring six goals in 11 appearances, including a hat-trick as the team clinched the youth league title. Barcelona exercised their option to sign him permanently in June, days after he was named in Egypt's squad for the 2026 World Cup.
Spanish media have been quick to embrace the storyline. Marca described him as "the Pharaoh of Goals" following his move, while Mundo Deportivo highlighted his youth-team scoring record in its coverage of the transfer. The Athletic reported that an unnamed figure inside Barcelona's dressing room said he had "the qualities of a really good No. 9."
Sports analysts have urged caution, however, noting that Abdelkarim has yet to make a competitive senior appearance for Barcelona and that his two goals against Birmingham came from a penalty and a rebound in a friendly fixture. His World Cup involvement with Egypt yielded no goals across a handful of appearances, according to tournament records.
With no like-for-like replacement for Lewandowski currently on Barcelona's books, Flick's coaching staff are expected to assess Abdelkarim further in the club's remaining pre-season fixtures before deciding on his role for the opening weeks of the league campaign. Barcelona have not ruled out further additions to their forward line before the transfer window closes.
For now, Abdelkarim remains one of the most closely watched teenagers in European football, with his path from Ahly's academy to a starting role at one of the sport's biggest clubs still very much in progress.
(For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
Short link: