Barcelona: Hamza Abdelkarim reaps the rewards, following in the footsteps of two Egypt stars

Huge praise for the talented Egyptian

Hamza Abdelkarim's pre-season graft has paid off. Barcelona have confirmed the young Egyptian forward made his first official appearance for the first team against Rayo Vallecano in La Liga yesterday, a reward for the impressive displays he produced through the summer.

According to the Catalan club's official website, Hamza earned his place through standout showings in friendlies and training, finishing pre-season as the team's top scorer with four goals.

The forward replaced Raphinha in the closing minutes and was on the pitch when Barcelona grabbed their fifth. The Catalans wrapped up another win, 5-2.

Recent months have transformed his career. Hamza joined on loan last season from Al Ahly before Barcelona made the deal permanent this summer, and he featured for Egypt at the 2026 World Cup despite still being an under-19 player.

That first official outing wrote him into the history books. Hamza became the first Egyptian player to wear the Barcelona shirt in an official match.

He is also only the third Egyptian in La Liga history. He follows Ahmed Hossam "Mido", the first to play in the competition, in the Celta Vigo shirt, and Haitham Hassan, who turned out for Real Oviedo last season.

For Hamza Abdelkarim, this official debut marks a fresh milestone, capping the brilliance he has shown since breaking into the first team during pre-season.