Hamza Abdelkarim: I love the nickname "Haaland of the Nile", and my goal is to bring the Champions League back to Barcelona
The Egyptian star talks about his goal against Al-Ahly and memories of the historic remontada
Barcelona's teenage forward Hamza Abdelkarim has laid out his ambitions after signing a new deal with the Catalan club until 2030. His priorities are clear: score goals, grow with the team, and win trophies, the Champions League above all.
Hamza spoke to Barcelona's media following the ceremony to renew his contract until 2030. He discussed his time at Barça, his fondest childhood memories, his favourite striker, and the possibility of turning out for the reserves this season.
An "amazing" experience
Life at Barcelona right now is "an amazing thing", Hamza said, praising the way the fans have treated him since he arrived.
The Egyptian pointed to his compatriot Mohamed Salah as one of his biggest inspirations, a fellow Egyptian forward who has reached the very top of world football.
His goal in the Joan Gamper Cup against former club Al Ahly stands as his standout moment at Barcelona so far, Hamza revealed. He also touched on his bond with team-mates Roony Bardghji and Karim Adeyemi, insisting there is a special chemistry between them in the dressing room.
On the kind of goals he prefers, he said: "I prefer to score a last-minute winner rather than score a hat-trick, as long as the hat-trick does not lead to a win, of course."
Barcelona since childhood
One memory sits above the rest. "I watched the big win over Paris Saint-Germain with my brother at home, and that was my first memory with Barcelona when I was a child," Hamza recalled. "And when I learned that the club wanted to sign me, it was exciting for me."
A role model for forwards
Asked about the forwards he learns from, the Barcelona player said: "There are a lot of good forwards. I want to enjoy this. There are wonderful forwards all over the world, and you can learn from them, and I try to do that."
As for his role at Barcelona, Hamza was emphatic that his job is to find the net. "I am a forward and I want to score goals, of course," he added. "There are other players who score goals, like Raphinha and Lamine, but my contribution is to score goals."
"The Haaland of the Nile"
Comparisons with Norway's Erling Haaland bring a smile. "Haaland is a wonderful forward, amazing at scoring goals and at being in the right place to score them," the Egyptian said. "You can always learn from the great players by watching the way they play. And I like being called the Haaland of the Nile."
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Barcelona dream
Playing time, Hamza knows, rests with the coach. "It is a dream to be at this club and to represent it. Playing minutes are the coach's decision and I respect that. I work every day to develop. I need time to improve and help the team. I know the minutes will come, and I have to be ready when the time comes."
Champions League first
His target could not be plainer. "I repeat, I want to score goals and win trophies, especially the Champions League. But I prefer to talk about goals rather than dreams, because that is how I deal with them," Hamza explained.
Winning the Champions League tops his list. The trophy has not returned to Barcelona's cabinet since 2015.
At 18, Hamza links the question of first team or reserves to one thing: getting the minutes that help him develop.
He said: "I do not know whether I will play with the second team. I do not think it is something I should not do, and I should not feel embarrassed if I play with them. It is very important to get minutes, score goals, train with the first team, and prove myself on the pitch, whether with the first team, the reserves, or the national team. I work every day for that."
A clear mission
Reaching the first team so quickly feels surreal. "It is a dream, as I always say, to reach here, with the desire to win many trophies and contribute by scoring goals, as this is my role as a forward," Hamza said.
He knows there is plenty still to work on. "I have aspects I need to improve, yes, and there are things I do well and can still develop," he added. "Barcelona's style of play is different from any other team, and I am in the phase of adapting to it and improving day by day."
Goal of the season
Hamza signed off with his personal aim for the campaign. "To score goals for the team, and to work and develop with this group. I am a forward and I want to help the team by scoring goals."
His first official goal for Barcelona is still to come. Before the season began, he found the net four times in friendlies.
