The 2026-27 UEFA Champions League season is set to look very different from an Egyptian perspective, with several of the country’s most prominent European-based stars absent from the competition and attention now shifting toward Barcelona youngster Hamza Abdelkarim.

The landscape for Egyptian players in Europe changed significantly during the summer transfer window. Mohamed Salah left Liverpool for Turkish side Trabzonspor, while Omar Marmoush moved from Manchester City to Tottenham Hotspur, taking two of Egypt’s biggest names away from the Champions League stage for the new season.

Big Names Missing

For years, Salah had been Egypt’s most recognizable presence in the Champions League during his spell with Liverpool. His move to Trabzonspor, however, brought that chapter to an end for the current campaign, with the Turkish club competing on a different European path.

Marmoush is also set to miss out after leaving Manchester City for Tottenham on a season-long loan, keeping him away from Champions League action based on his new club’s situation this season.

Haissem Hassan’s hopes of reaching the competition also ended after Celtic were eliminated during the qualifying stages.

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As a result, Egypt’s hopes of having a player involved in Europe’s elite club competition could now largely depend on what comes next for Hamza Abdelkarim at Barcelona.

Hamza’s Opportunity

The 18-year-old Egyptian forward joined Barcelona from Al Ahly and has already worked his way into the Catalan club’s domestic squad.

His position gives him an opportunity to compete for a place in Barcelona’s Champions League squad, although his European involvement is not yet guaranteed and will ultimately depend on the coaching staff’s final selection.

Barcelona enter the new Champions League campaign as Spanish league champions and will once again be aiming to challenge for European football’s biggest club prize.

With the familiar Egyptian names missing from the competition, the new season could provide an opportunity for a younger face to emerge. Should Abdelkarim earn a place in Barcelona’s European squad and make his Champions League debut, he would have the chance to open a new chapter for Egyptian football on the continent’s biggest club stage.