Hamza Abdelkarim
Active- Current or last club
- Barcelona
- Country (nationality)
- Egypt
- League or competition
- La Liga
- Position
- Striker
- How is the religion known?
- Stated publicly by the player
- Last checked
- 8 October 2026
Hamza celebrated in sajdah after scoring FC Barcelona’s first two goals of the preseason.
We list a player’s religion only where they have spoken about it publicly or it has been reliably reported, and we link our sources. If something is wrong, or a player’s views have changed, please tell us and we will review it.
Table of Contents
What religion is Hamza Abdelkarim?
Hamza Abdelkarim is an Egyptian professional footballer who is Muslim. He celebrated his goals for Barcelona by making sujud on the field.
Hamza Abdelkarim plays as a striker for FC Barcelona and the Egypt national team. He rose through Al Ahly’s academy in Cairo before a move to Barcelona in 2026 made him the first Egyptian player in the club’s history, and he went on to represent Egypt at the 2026 FIFA World Cup at just 18 years old.
Early life
Abdelkarim was born on 1 January 2008 in Cairo, Egypt. His father, Mohamed Abdelkarim, was a star volleyball player for Al Ahly and the Egyptian national team, and two of his aunts are former international volleyball players.
Abdelkarim began playing football for Kuala Lumpur FC’s youth setup in Malaysia in 2016 and won the inaugural Kuala Lumpur Cup with the club. In 2020, after a trial, he joined Al Ahly’s youth academy in Cairo.
Career
Abdelkarim came through the Al Ahly academy, scoring 12 goals in 19 matches for the club’s Under-17 side and attracting interest from European clubs, including Dutch side Feyenoord, before Al Ahly moved to renew his contract and keep him. He made his first-team debut for Al Ahly in February 2025 as a substitute for Emam Ashour in a 2-1 league victory over Petrojet FC and was promoted to the first-team squad in July that year. He did win the Egyptian Premier League title with Al Ahly in the 2024-25 season, but his chances were limited in the first team.
Barcelona
In February 2026, Barcelona signed Abdelkarim on loan from Al Ahly to play for the club’s Juvenil A youth side, after an earlier attempt to complete the move in January stalled over contract terms between Al Ahly and the player’s camp. Due to administrative issues, his debut was delayed until 8 March 2026, when he scored on his first appearance in a 2-2 draw against SD Huesca’s youth team. He then went on to score five goals in seven league games for the Juvenil A side of Barcelona, helping the team win the División de Honor Juvenil title, and later adding further goals for the club’s Barça Atlètic reserve side.
In June 2026, Barcelona triggered a buyout clause to bring him on a permanent deal from Al Ahly for a fee reported to be €1.5 million with performance-related add-ons that could take the total, and Al Ahly would have a 15 percent sell-on clause on any future transfer. The move made him the first Egyptian player to join Barcelona in the club’s history.
International career
Abdelkarim was featured for Egypt at the under-17 level, winning the 2024 UNAF U-17 Tournament and another UNAF U-17 title that year with three goals in each. He also featured for Egypt at the 2025 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
He received his first call-up to the Egypt national team ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and made his senior debut on 29 May 2026 in a 1–0 friendly victory against Russia. He was named in Egypt’s squad for the World Cup itself and wore the number 9 shirt in an attack that also featured Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush and played in four of Egypt’s five matches at the tournament. He missed only the round of 16 defeat to Argentina that ended the team’s campaign.
Personal life
Abdelkarim’s father, a former competitive volleyball player, also serves as his agent.
Sources
- X Post (opens in a new tab) Muslim, 2026
Sources are linked so you can check each claim yourself. Beliefs and public statements can change, so please check the source for the latest.
