Confirmed: Barcelona forward Hamza Abdelkarim earns another Egypt call-up for AFCON qualifiers

Confirmed: Barcelona forward Hamza Abdelkarim earns another Egypt call-up for AFCON qualifiers Hamza Abdelkarim’s rise at Barcelona is continuing to gather pace, with the young forward receiving another call-up to the Egypt national team. Egypt coach Hossam Hassan has selected the Barcelona striker for the upcoming international window, which includes three fixtures against Angola, South Sudan and South Africa. The first two matches will begin Egypt’s qualification campaign for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, giving Abdelkarim another chance to add to his international experience. Notably, the Barcelona forward is already a World Cup player.  Abdelkarim featured for 57 minutes across four matches at the last tournament, and his coach’s decision to bring him back into the squad shows his place in Egypt’s plans. Egypt call-up could give Abdelkarim a bigger role Egypt have named only two recognised strikers in the squad: Omar Marmoush, currently on loan at Tottenham Hotspur from Manchester City, and Abdelkarim. That leaves the Barcelona forward with a realistic opportunity to collect significant minutes during the international window, which could be particularly useful. For now, Abdelkarim continues to train with Hansi Flick’s senior squad, although Barça have not yet thrown him into a competitive first-team match.  The club’s current plan is for him to keep developing with Barça Atlètic while remaining part of Flick’s training group. Barcelona have already made their position clear Barcelona’s confidence in Abdelkarim can also be seen in the decision they recently took over his contract. Hamza Abdelkarim will play for Egypt in 2027 AFCON qualifiers. (Photo by Daniela Porcelli/Getty Images) After outside interest emerged in the Egyptian, Barça moved to protect their investment by dramatically increasing his release clause . The figure has risen from €15 million to €150 million. That is a tenfold increase and removes any suggestion that Barcelona see Abdelkarim as an ordinary academy player who can be easily picked off. Even so, the club still wants patience. He is developing with Barça Atlètic, learning within the senior environment and now getting another chance to compete internationally with Egypt. His route into the Barcelona first team has not been rushed, but the next international window gives him a fantastic stage — and, with so few strikers in Egypt’s squad, potentially a much bigger one.