Barcelona teenage starlet in contention for a starting opportunity with national team

Barcelona teenage starlet in contention for a starting opportunity with national team FC Barcelona teenager Hamza Abdelkarim is currently away with the Egypt national team as the first international break of the 2026/27 season is underway. The 18-year-old centre-forward, who was already a part of the Egypt squad at the World Cup in the summer, is already training under Hossam Hassan ahead of their first two matches of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign. Fighting for a place in the starting XI Now, according to Al Ahram (h/t SPORT ), Hamza could be in line for a starting berth for Egypt against Angola this week, after making just one official appearance for Barcelona under Hansi Flick this season. Manager Hassan has yet to decide who will lead the line against Angola. He is considering several options for the central attacking role, including Omar Marmoush, Mustafa Zizo and Hamza. Friday’s match could therefore represent an important opportunity for the Barcelona youngster. Hamza in contention for a starting berth for Egypt. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) Hamza has only just joined the squad in Cairo and has already taken part in training, giving him several sessions to convince the manager before the opening game. After taking on Angola on Friday, Egypt will then face South Sudan in another qualifying match on 29 September, followed by a friendly against South Africa on 4 October. Hamza’s situation at Barça Hamza’s call-up comes at an interesting point as he has played just four official minutes for Barça this season, against Rayo Vallecano. Prior to that, however, the 18-year-old striker had made a strong impression during pre-season, scoring four goals in five matches and finishing as the team’s top scorer. Hamza was Barcelona’s top scorer in pre-season. (Photo by Daniela Porcelli/Getty Images) Competition, however, is fierce in the No. 9 position. Raphinha has established himself as one of Flick’s key attacking players, after producing an outstanding level of performance early in the season. Meanwhile, the arrival of Gabriel Jesus has added even more competition for the centre-forward slot. Hamza, who already signed a new contract with the club until 2030 , will have to wait for Flick to find the right moment to give him more minutes . But, away from Barcelona, he now has an opportunity to change the situation and get some valuable minutes and exposure.