Barcelona academy striker Hamza Abdelkarim has earned a call-up to Egypt’s preliminary squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, becoming the first Egyptian player in Barcelona’s history to represent the club at any level.
The 18-year-old forward, who joined Barcelona on loan from Al Ahly in February 2026 with an option to buy, has turned heads in the club’s youth ranks. His standout displays for the U19 side, including hat-tricks in key matches, have highlighted his rapid progress as a clinical finisher.
The preliminary squad, however, will be trimmed before the final list is submitted.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah — who is set to leave Liverpool when his contract expires this summer is expected to captain the Pharaohs once again. This will be his second World Cup involvement after making his debut at the tournament in Russia 2018, where he scored twice (against Russia and Saudi Arabia).
Egypt are heading to their fourth World Cup finals, having first qualified as the inaugural African and Arab nation for the 1934 tournament in Italy. They returned in 1990 in Italy again after a record 56-year gap, before making it back in 2018.
Qualifying for the 2026 North America edition means they reached the finals in consecutive cycles for the first time.
PRELIMINARY 27-MAN EGYPT LINE UP
Goalkeepers
Mohamed El Shenawy
Mostafa Shobeir
El Mahdy Soliman
Mohamed Alaa
Defenders
Mohamed Hany
Tarek Alaa
Hamdi Fathi
Ramy Rabia
Yasser Ibrahim
Hossam Abdelmaguid
Mohamed Abdelmonem
Ahmed Fattouh
Karim Hafez
Midfielders
Marwan Attia
Mohanad Lasheen
Nabil Emad Dunga
Mahmoud Saber
Ahmed Sayed Zizo
Mahmoud Trezeguet
Emam Ashour
Mostafa Ziko
Ibrahim Adel
Haitham Hassan
Mohamed Salah
Attackers / Forwards
Omar Marmoush
Aktay Abdullah
Hamza Abdel Karim
