Egypt striker Hamza Abdelkarim, 18, has emerged as one of the youngest players at the World Cup and the youngest ever to play for his nation in the event. The 6-footer came on for Mohamed Salah in the 76th minute of Egypt's 1-1 draw with Belgium in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Jun 21.
Some see Abdelkarim as Egypt's heir apparent to Salah, now 34 and the team's biggest star. He showed calm after the draw, speaking for the squad on television: "The whole team wanted the three points. We got one point at the end, but we gave it our all. And we need to thank the fans that came, the atmosphere was great and we focus on the next match," he said.
Egypt face New Zealand on Sunday in Vancouver, with both sides seeking their first World Cup win. New Zealand drew
2-2 with Iran in its opener, leaving all Group G teams level on points. Abdelkarim had not played for Egypt's senior side when he was named to the preliminary squad in May.
He made his senior debut that month in a World Cup tune-up against Russia, coming on in the 86th minute. Abdelkarim also became the youngest player for Al Ahly when he debuted at 17, later went on loan from Al Ahly to Barcelona earlier this year, and played his first match for Barcelona Juvenil in March.
From Barcelona B To Nike Sponsorship: The Rise Of Hamza Abdelkarim
Barcelona was expected to make Abdelkarim's move permanent in the coming days, and he recently signed a sponsorship deal with Nike. Egypt will still rely on Salah, a four-time Premier League Golden Boot winner with Liverpool, who scored nine goals and set up three more in six World Cup qualifying matches.
Coach Hossam Hassan also has Omar Marmoush, 27, who plays for Manchester City, but he wants Egypt to show team unity. "What matters to me is that the Egyptian fans who are watching us now - and what the whole world wants to see - is that the performance of the Egyptian national team earns great respect. They should see that besides all the stars such as Omar and Salah, there is collective football that does not depend on a single player, and that we work in an organized collective manner. "
Abdelkarim is one of 22 teenagers on World Cup squads. The youngest player in the tournament is Mexico's Gilberto Mora, who is 17. Other notable teens are Spain's Lamine Yamal and Senegal's Ibrahim Mbaye, both 18, and Brazil's Endrick, 19.
