Egyptian youngster Hamza Abdel Karim has continued his impressive start at Barcelona, emerging as the club’s top scorer during preseason with four goals and matching the tally achieved by Lamine Yamal in the previous summer preparations.

Hamza’s impact has been about more than just numbers in friendly matches. His performances have made a strong impression on head coach Hansi Flick, especially as the German manager continues to look for another striker ahead of the new season.

Hamza Matches Yamal and Takes Center Stage

Hamza Abdel Karim scored four goals during Barcelona’s preseason campaign, finishing as the team’s leading scorer and matching the achievement of Lamine Yamal, who recorded the same number during last season’s preparations.

The 18-year-old also scored in Barcelona’s 2-1 win over Al Ahly in the Joan Gamper Trophy, further highlighting his attacking instincts, movement inside the box and ability to make the most of scoring opportunities.

Hamza leads Barcelona’s scoring chart in the latest preseason, while Jassi Bissio and Raphinha scored twice each. Ibrahim Diarra, Hector Fort, Ebrima Tunkara, Alex Gonzalez, Karim Adeyemi and Lamine Yamal each found the net once.

From Youth Loan to Flick’s New Prospect

Hamza’s rise at Barcelona has been remarkably fast. He initially arrived on loan from Al Ahly to play with the club’s youth team, before his career quickly accelerated and he went on to feature for Egypt at the World Cup.

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Barcelona later decided to make his move permanent and tie him to the club until 2029, underlining the confidence in his potential and long-term development.

The Egyptian forward also showed his determination to establish himself by cutting short his rest and joining Barcelona’s preseason preparations from day one under Flick, a decision that helped him catch the attention of the coaching staff.

However, being the top scorer in preseason does not guarantee success throughout the campaign. Previous examples at Barcelona show that strong summer performances must be followed by consistency when competitive matches begin. Pau Victor led the team’s preseason scoring in 2024 with three goals, while Ferran Torres achieved the same total in 2023, and Ousmane Dembele scored five goals during the 2022-23 preparations.

For Hamza Abdel Karim, though, the current start has opened a genuine opportunity. With his name now standing out during Barcelona’s preparations and Flick still searching for another central striker, the Egyptian teenager has a chance to turn an impressive preseason into a major breakthrough.

His biggest challenge will be maintaining this level once official competition begins, but one thing is already clear: Hamza is no longer simply a young player taking part in preseason. He is an Egyptian talent making an early statement at one of the biggest clubs in world football.