Hamza Abdelkarim: Barcelona spent the summer being linked with big-name strikers, yet the player who actually topped their preseason scoring charts was an 18-year-old nobody outside Egypt had heard of a year ago. Hamza Abdelkarim finished pre-season as Barça’s leading scorer with four goals — and he’s making Hansi Flick’s decision at centre-forward genuinely difficult.
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A Preseason Built on Big Moments
Abdelkarim’s summer reads like a highlight reel rather than a gradual breakthrough. He opened with a brace on his very first outing against Birmingham City, scoring a penalty and a poacher’s finish in the same match. He followed that with another goal off the bench against Basel — needing just four minutes after coming on to restore Barça’s lead with an acrobatic finish.
He capped it off by scoring against his former club, Al Ahly, in the Joan Gamper Trophy, Barcelona’s traditional preseason finale at Camp Nou. For more on how Barça’s squad is shaping up ahead of the new season, check our football transfer news coverage.
Preseason Scoring at a Glance
| Match | Result | Abdelkarim’s Contribution |
|---|---|---|
| vs Birmingham City | 2-2 draw | Brace (penalty + poacher’s finish) |
| vs Basel | 5-2 win | Goal off the bench, 4 mins after coming on |
| vs Al Ahly (Joan Gamper Trophy) | 2-1 win | Opening goal at Camp Nou |
Why He’s More Than a Preseason Story
What makes Abdelkarim’s case interesting isn’t just the goals — it’s the context around them. He was the first international player to rejoin training at the start of preseason, reportedly giving up part of his post-World Cup break with Egypt to get an early start with the squad. That kind of commitment, paired with genuinely sharp finishing, has clearly registered with Flick.
According to Mundo Deportivo, the German coach continues to watch Abdelkarim produce the kind of numbers that make a first-team role increasingly hard to ignore — regardless of whether Barcelona still pursues an experienced number nine, with names like Viktor Gyökeres reportedly still on the club’s radar.
The Case for Abdelkarim as Barça’s No. 9
Barcelona’s long-running search for a reliable out-and-out striker has been a talking point for years, and Abdelkarim’s movement in the box, link-up play, and composure in front of goal suggest he could be a genuine option rather than just squad depth. At 18, he’s also arriving with senior tournament experience already under his belt, having featured for Egypt at the World Cup — a rare résumé for a player this young stepping into a Barcelona shirt.
What Happens Next
None of this guarantees regular minutes once La Liga action begins — preseason form doesn’t always survive contact with competitive fixtures. But for a club that’s often preferred developing its own attacking talent, Abdelkarim’s emergence gives Flick a homegrown-feeling alternative at exactly the position Barcelona has struggled to solve. Keep following our La Liga coverage as the new season kicks off and Flick makes his call.
