Hamza takes over from Salah and fulfills at Barcelona the dream the Egyptian star never achieved

Egypt drew 0-0 with Angola in a match that delivered a symbolic moment for Barcelona fans: Hamza Abdelkarim replaced Mohamed Salah, the player he has always admired and with whom he is constantly compared in his home country. At just 18, the Barça forward has already achieved the great professional ambition the former Liverpool star pursued for more than a decade without success: signing for the Catalan club.

• Hamza Abdelkarim played the final half-hour of Egypt's match against Angola in place of Salah and came close to scoring in stoppage time.
• Despite his age, he is already a full senior international and played at last year's World Cup with the Pharaohs.
• So far this season he has only played four official minutes for Barça, in the LaLiga match against Rayo Vallecano.
• The Egyptian recently extended and improved the contract he signed with Barcelona last summer.

Taking over from Salah for Egypt and a late chance against Angola

The Barcelona attacker entered the pitch in the 62nd minute to take Mohamed Salah's place in the World Cup qualifier against Angola, and it was far from a symbolic substitution. Hamza had a clear opportunity deep into added time that could have broken the deadlock, although the match ended goalless. His involvement with the senior squad confirms that Egypt see him as a valuable asset in the present, not merely a prospect for the future.

Why Hamza is barely playing under Flick at Barcelona

The attacking competition in the Barça squad is fierce. Raphinha is in spectacular form and has scored 14 goals so far this season, which has blocked Hamza's path to a starting role on the wing. His only official appearance for the first team came in the league meeting with Rayo Vallecano, where he played four minutes. That lack of involvement contrasts sharply with his pre-season displays, when he finished as Barcelona's top scorer in the summer friendlies.

The Salah comparison and the 'new Salah' tag in Egypt

In his homeland, Hamza constantly hears that he is the natural heir to Mohamed Salah. They share position, pace, dribbling ability and an eye for goal, qualities that have led the Egyptian press to label him the 'new Salah'. The veteran Trabzonspor forward, now 34, is one of the young Barça player's greatest role models and someone he has looked up to since emerging in African football.

The dream Salah could not fulfill and Hamza has already made real

Over the past decade, Mohamed Salah's name appeared on Barcelona's radar on countless occasions. Contact between the two parties was repeated in transfer window after transfer window, especially while the Egyptian was shining at Liverpool, the club where he played from the 2017-18 season through 2025-26. Yet the move never materialised: sometimes because of Liverpool's refusal to part with their star, and sometimes because of financial disagreements between the two sides.

Last summer, with Salah already out of Anfield, his name was once again strongly linked with a move to bolster Barcelona's attack. In the end, however, the Egyptian signed for Trabzonspor until 2028 and missed what he had repeatedly described as one of his greatest professional ambitions: wearing the blaugrana shirt. At 34, it seems highly unlikely that he will ever get another chance.

Hamza renews with Barcelona as his international role grows

Just a few days ago, Barcelona extended and improved the contract Hamza had signed in the summer, a clear signal of the club's confidence in his development. Although Flick is managing his minutes carefully, the Egyptian continues to play an important role for his national team, with whom he has already experienced a World Cup. The game against Angola provided further proof that Egypt are counting on him for the biggest occasions.

Frequently asked questions about Hamza Abdelkarim and Salah