Paul Planas has praised rising Egyptian striker Hamza Abdel Karim following the youngster’s inclusion in Egypt national football team’s provisional squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The 18-year-old forward, currently on loan at FC Barcelona from Al Ahly SC, has continued attracting attention after being named by Egypt coach Hossam Hassan in a preliminary 27-man squad ahead of the tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Speaking about the player’s progress, Planas highlighted Abdel Karim’s professionalism, work ethic and willingness to learn within Barcelona’s demanding football structure.
“Hamza is a professional player in every sense of the word. He is extremely hardworking and has a great desire to learn,” Planas said.
The Barcelona U-19 coach explained that the club has been carefully guiding the young striker through a structured development process designed to help him adapt to the tactical demands of the Catalan side.
“The club is making a great effort to help him adapt. He is learning Barcelona’s style; it took him some time at first, but through videos, individual meetings, and the team’s understanding of him on the pitch, we are seeing more of the best in him,” he added.
Planas also stressed the importance of patience in Abdel Karim’s development, warning against placing excessive expectations on the teenager despite growing excitement surrounding his rise.
“He is very focused, he wants to be a real footballer, and we have to take it step by step. There is no need to rush. We should congratulate him on being called up for the World Cup, but we have to take things simply.”
The striker’s inclusion in Egypt’s provisional World Cup squad is being viewed as a major milestone in his career and a strong endorsement of Barcelona’s decision to integrate him into their youth system.
Within La Masia, coaches reportedly believe Abdel Karim is beginning to fully understand key elements of Barcelona’s football identity, including positional awareness, pressing structure and off-the-ball movement.
Barcelona are also believed to hold a long-term option to sign the player permanently from Al Ahly depending on his continued development and internal evaluations.
For now, both club and country are focused on managing his progress carefully as the young forward continues balancing academy football in Spain with growing international responsibilities for Egypt.
