Barcelona forward Hamza Abdelkarim has made a strong case for a first-team opportunity before Sunday’s La Liga opener against Elche, after impressing teammates and Hansi Flick during his first senior pre-season with the club.
The young Egyptian striker scored Barcelona’s opening goal against former club Al Ahly in the Joan Gamper Trophy, continuing a run of form that has made him increasingly difficult for Flick to overlook.
Eric Garcia was among those most surprised by Abdelkarim’s impact. The Barcelona defender admitted he had not known much about the forward before the training camp, but said the 19-year-old had quickly altered his view with his performances over recent weeks.
“I didn’t know him, and he surprised me,” Garcia said, according to Mundo Deportivo.
He also offered Abdelkarim an encouraging assessment of his potential, adding: “If he continues working this way, he will become a very important striker in the future.”
Abdelkarim began the match against Al Ahly in Barcelona’s starting XI and played 73 minutes, scoring against the club where he had previously been involved with the first team only sporadically. His goal took his total to four in three pre-season appearances, making him one of the most prominent players to emerge from Barcelona’s preparations.
The nature of those goals has also attracted attention. Abdelkarim has repeatedly shown the instincts of a conventional number nine, moving actively inside the penalty area and appearing in the right positions when the ball arrives.
Those qualities are understood to be particularly relevant to Flick’s demands. The German manager had already praised the forward after he scored twice against Birmingham during pre-season.
“As a striker, you have to show up in the box, and that’s what he did today. That’s what I ask of a number nine,” Flick said at the time.
Abdelkarim’s progress comes as Barcelona continue to consider whether to sign another forward during the transfer window. With the club still assessing its options in attack, the competition for the number nine position remains unresolved.
While Barcelona examine possible reinforcements, Abdelkarim is providing Flick with further reasons to consider him a genuine option rather than simply a young player to be given occasional minutes in friendly matches.
Mundo Deportivo says the main question now is whether the striker’s pre-season displays have done enough to earn him a meaningful opportunity when Barcelona begin their league campaign against Elche on Sunday.
However, selecting Abdelkarim from the start would represent a significant decision for Flick. Despite his impressive performances, the forward has yet to play a competitive match for Barcelona’s first team. He has not even made an official appearance for the club’s reserve side.
That lack of competitive experience means a starting place against Elche would be a major step, even though Abdelkarim has emerged from pre-season as one of the most talked-about players in Barcelona’s squad.
