Barcelona Plans Special Strategy for Hamza Abdel Karim

Egyptian striker Hamza Abdel Karim is highly valued at Barcelona after his appearances with the national team in the 2026 World Cup. According to Spanish newspaper "Sport," the club does not plan for him to be with Barcelona Atletic, but rather sees him closer to the first team.

The 18-year-old player participated in all of Egypt's matches in the World Cup except for the game against Argentina, despite having played only with the youth team in 2026, making the most of his minutes, averaging 14 minutes per match.

Barcelona's management believes Hamza possesses the qualities of a traditional center-forward due to his physical strength and ability to play with his back to goal, with confidence in his significant potential despite needing to develop certain technical aspects.

The same source added that the player will join the first team's preparation period, but is likely to first receive a short break after the end of his season with the youth team and his continuous participation with Egypt in the World Cup.

Barcelona plans to give Hamza a role as an additional option in the attack, especially given that Hansi Flick does not have a striker with his characteristics.

The club does not rule out the possibility of loaning Hamza in the future to gain more experience, although this option is not a priority at the moment, especially as Barcelona continues to search for a new striker, led by Julián Álvarez.