Barcelona youngster hopes to win over Flick during pre-season after World Cup breakthrough

Barcelona youngster hopes to win over Flick during pre-season after World Cup breakthrough Just a month ago, Hamza Abdelkarim was largely unknown to most football fans. Today, the Egyptian striker returns from the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a growing reputation. And, heading into the summer, the 18-year-old has a new key objective: convincing Hansi Flick that he deserves a place in Barcelona’s first-team plans, reports MARCA . A remarkable rise Abdelkarim’s progress over the past few months has been extraordinary. The striker joined Barcelona on loan from Al Ahly in January to strengthen the club’s Juvenil A squad. Administrative issues delayed his official debut until March, but once available, he quickly impressed the coaching staff with both his performances and potential, while helping the team win the Division de Honor Juvenil title. His impact convinced the club to trigger the €1.5 million purchase option last month , securing the permanent signing of one of Egypt’s most highly rated young players. Hamza had a lot of exposure at the World Cup. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) Valuable World Cup experience The 18-year-old forward spent the second half of the last season with Barça’s Juvenil A side and had very little experience at the highest level before the tournament. That did not stop Egypt’s national team coach from placing his trust in one of the country’s brightest young prospects. Hamza rewarded that faith by playing a meaningful role throughout much of Egypt’s World Cup campaign. Regarded in Egypt as one of the nation’s most exciting young talents, Abdelkarim featured in four of Egypt’s five matches during the tournament. The only match in which he did not feature came in Tuesday’s Round of 16 defeat to Argentina, which brought Egypt’s tournament to an end. Pre-season with first team Convincing Flick the key. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images) In only a matter of months, Hamza has experienced a remarkable transformation. His performances during the World Cup further strengthened his growing reputation. Now, Abdelkarim’s attention turns toward an equally ambitious challenge: earning Flick’s trust. Everything points towards Hamza joining Barcelona’s first-team pre-season. The only question still to be resolved is whether he will report from the very first day of training or receive a short holiday following a demanding summer with the national team. Despite there being talks about the 18-year-old being directly promoted to the first-team setup , he must first convince Flick that he deserves a place.