Hamza Abdelkarim has emerged as Barcelona’s leading scorer during pre-season, with the Egypt international having scored four goals as head coach Hansi Flick continues to seek a new number nine.
The 18-year-old forward scored in Barcelona’s 2-1 victory over Egyptian club Al Ahly on Wednesday in the Joan Gamper Trophy, further strengthening the positive impression he has made during the club’s preparations for the new season.
According to Catalan newspaper Sport, which described the player’s progress in a report headlined “Hamza Abdelkarim’s revolution at Barcelona”, Abdelkarim has been one of the standout performers in the weeks before the campaign begins.
His opportunities have increased because Barcelona do not currently have another recognised centre-forward available in the squad. Flick remains keen to recruit a new striker, but Abdelkarim’s performances have given the German manager plenty to consider.
Sport reported that, although Abdelkarim is still only 18 and lacks some experience, he possesses a natural goalscoring instinct. The Egyptian is able to find the right position at the right moment to finish attacking moves, the newspaper said.
“His four goals in pre-season confirm that,” Sport added. “He has become Barcelona’s top scorer in the preparations, achieving the same mark as Lamine Yamal in the previous pre-season, when he scored four goals in four matches.”
Abdelkarim’s rise at Barcelona has been rapid. He initially joined the club on loan from Al Ahly to play for the youth side before stepping up to represent Egypt at the World Cup. Barcelona later decided to make the move permanent, tying him to the club until 2029.
The forward could have been entitled to a longer break, but instead chose to cut short his holiday and report for first-team preparations under Flick from the opening day. That decision impressed the manager.
Leading Barcelona’s scoring charts in pre-season does not guarantee that Abdelkarim will maintain the same form throughout the season, but it represents an important boost for the young forward as he attempts to establish himself within Flick’s plans.
Pau Victor topped the club’s pre-season scoring list in 2024, registering three goals in four matches, although his subsequent experience did not develop as he had hoped.
Ferran Torres was Barcelona’s leading scorer during the 2023 preparations, also with three goals in four games. Ousmane Dembele scored five goals in five matches during the build-up to the 2022-23 season.
Nine different players have scored for Barcelona in the latest preparations. Abdelkarim leads the way with four goals, while Jesse Bisiou and Raphinha have scored twice each.
Ibrahim Diarra, Hector Fort, Ibrahima Tonkara, Alex Gonzalez, Karim Adeyemi and Lamine Yamal have each contributed one goal.
