Egyptian Dynamo: Hamza Abdel Karim Sparks Barcelona Youth Debut with a Goal and a Penalty
9 March 2026
Egyptian forward Hamza Abdel Karim, recently loaned from Al Ahly to Barcelona, turned heads with his first official appearance for the Juvenil A side against Huesca in the Spanish Under-19 league, a game that finished 2-2.
Hamza opened his account for Barcelona with a headed goal in the 69th minute after a precise cross, and he then played 73 minutes under coach Pol Blanes. He also earned a late penalty through a smart run inside the box, although Adrián Guerrero missed the spot-kick, reminiscent of a comic ending to a near-perfect setup.
Hamza Takes Off With Barcelona
The Catalan press praised his burgeoning talent, with Sport noting that “Hamza flies high with Barcelona, scoring a goal and a crucial penalty” and stressing that his starting spot wasn’t guaranteed due to work-permit issues, yet he led the attack alongside other winter signings like Alex Gonzalez and Nil Vicens.
Mundo Deportivo added that Hamza showed notable flashes of brilliance, returning to Barcelona after a bureaucratic delay forced him to fly back to Egypt. He rejoined the squad on time to influence the game, even as the defense crept closer to conceding a second goal.
The New Salah at La Masia
The evaluation from Koli Mania described Hamza as “the new Salah in La Masia,” praising his physical presence and effectiveness as a box striker, noting how he unsettled the Huesca defense with both aerial and technical movement in his first appearance.
The piece underscored Barça’s longer-term plan to nurture Hamza through the youth ranks, with a steady progression toward the Barça B side and beyond, away from the glare of immediate media pressure.
Punchline 1: If Hamza keeps scoring at this rate, Barça might need a bigger trophy room just for his headlines.
Punchline 2: And if the work-permit saga continues, they’ll start tallying it as a hidden assist—for keeping the plot deliciously dramatic.
