Art & Culture

Everything You Need to Know About Hamza Abdelkarim, Barcelona’s First-Ever Egyptian Player

BYYassine Hariss

February 4, 2026

FC Barcelona has just signed their first-ever player hailing from Egypt. No it’s not Mohamed Salah, who’s still part of Liverpool FC’s Squad. It isn’t Omar Marmoush either, who still represents the Northern English side Manchester City. Against all odds, the athlete that caught the Catalan giant’s attention is a teenager few outside his homeland have even heard of. Meet Hamza Abdelkarim, a left-footed winger whose rise is worth paying close attention to.

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Brought in on loan from Egypt’s Al Ahly, the blaugrana’s newly-minted forward is being compared to some of the game’s greatest. One of his country’s most promising prospects, the teenager’s move comes with hopes of turning talent into a complete profile able to survive elite football’s relentless demands. And as all eyes turn towards him, below, we pulled together a list of the must-know facts about the North African talent making headlines.

He’s 18

He was born on Jan. 1, 2008 in Cairo, Egypt. At 18, most players are still figuring out senior football while Abdelkarim is doing it under the scrutiny that comes with wearing a Barcelona badge. It’s a leap that demands maturity beyond his years.

He rose to fame at the U-17 FIFA World Cup

Like so many players who eventually make the jump to the big leagues, Abdelkarim’s trajectory shifted the moment he appeared for Egypt at the FIFA U-17 World Cup. Two goals and one assist in four matches isn’t the kind of statistic that necessarily breaks the internet, but at youth level, it’s enough to get scouts to start making calls.

He’s on loan from Al Ahly

Abdelkarim joined FC Barcelona on a 6-month loan, linking him to the Spanish side until June 30, 2026. After that date, he’ll return to Cairo, unless his time there convinces the Catalan club to trigger a permanent deal and keep him in Europe for good. For the time being, he’ll be playing with Barcelona’s second team that competes at the fourth tier of the Spanish league system.

He was Al Ahly’s youngest ever player

On Feb. 6, 2025, Abdelkarim made his first official steps as a professional footballer for Al Ahly. That day, he also became his side’s youngest ever player to enter a field in the 21st century, beating a previous record, held by Ramadan Sobhi, by nine days.

Everything You Need to Know About Hamza Abdelkarim, Barcelona’s First-Ever Egyptian Player

He’s 18

He rose to fame at the U-17 FIFA World Cup

He’s on loan from Al Ahly

He was Al Ahly’s youngest ever player

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Everything You Need to Know About Hamza Abdelkarim, Barcelona’s First-Ever Egyptian Player

He’s 18

He rose to fame at the U-17 FIFA World Cup

He’s on loan from Al Ahly

He was Al Ahly’s youngest ever player

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