The 18-year-old forward, who joined Barcelona Juvenil A on loan from Egyptian club Ahly, produced strong performance scoring a hat-trick against Montecarlo. 

“Abdelkarim will be included in Egypt’s preliminary 55-man squad for the 2026 World Cup finals,” Hassan told local media outlet Yallakora.

“The preliminary squad will be reduced to 26 players and submitted at the beginning of next June,” he added.

Abdelkarim joined Barcelona on loan until the end of the season, with an option to make the move permanent. 

A product of Ahly’s youth academy, he made nine senior appearances for the Cairo-based side in all competitions.

At international level, Abdelkarim helped Egypt win the 2024 UNAF Under-17 tournament and scored twice at the 2025 Africa U-17 Cup of Nations.

He also impressed at the 2025 FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Qatar, scoring two goals and providing one assist as Egypt reached the last 16.

Egypt, drawn in Group G alongside Iran, New Zealand and Belgium, played friendlies against Saudi Arabia and Spain in March.

The 2026 World Cup will be held in the United States and Mexico from 11 June to 19 July.

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