Egypt boss Hossam Hassan has talked up Barcelona striker Hamza Abdelkarim after including the 18-year-old in his squad for World Cup 2026.
Barcelona have since activated their option to sign Abdelkarim permanently, and Hassan thinks he will surprise many people.
“We have seen many things [we like with Hamza], his personality, technical capabilities, ambition, what the player wants to achieve,” he told reporters.
“We can see it when we’re recruiting, and in the matches with the young players. He was
playing at such a high level and was already overqualified for youth football.
“I saw the positive influence he had on the group at the 2025 U-17 World Cup, and I’ve followed all of his matches for Barcelona.
“When he’s come to work with us, I can see that he’s a very good player for Egyptian football. It may be a surprise for some, but he has all of the qualities of a strong player.
“He’s proved it at Barcelona, and when a player is performing for one of the biggest clubs in the world, he can have a very positive influence on Egyptian football, maybe even very soon.”
Hassan also talked up Abdelkarim as the future of Egyptian football and a potential successor to legend Mohamed Salah.
“The new players are the future of the squad, the country, Egypt’s football,” he added. “Abdelkarim is a great player who will surprise the fans, alongside Salah, alongside Marmoush of course.
“They are talents who will add to the country’s football in the long run. We can’t just look at the squad who are there, but there are other young talents in the country as well.
“I hope we can find more talent in the near future and maybe even recruit them. This is the heritage, the legacy for the Egyptian fans, and the Egyptian football family are going to witness it in the future.”
Salah has reportedly emerged as a mentor for Abdelkarim while on international duty. Egypt kick off their tournament later today against Belgium.
