Egypt forward Hamza Abdelkarim became the youngest player to represent the country at a FIFA World Cup when he appeared against Belgium on June 15, 2026.
The 18-year-old entered in the 75th minute of Egypt’s 1-1 draw in the Group G opener, replacing captain Mohamed Salah. At 18 years and 161 days old, he surpassed the national record held by Mostafa Kamel Mansour since the 1934 World Cup, when Mansour played at 19 years and nine months. Abdelkarim wears the number nine shirt for Egypt and is listed as a forward born on January 1, 2008, in Cairo.
Abdelkarim joined FC Barcelona in February 2026 on loan from Egyptian club Al Ahly, initially playing for Barcelona’s reserve side. The Catalan club later activated a €1.5 million buy option to sign him on a permanent deal. Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan included Abdelkarim in the final 26-man World Cup squad despite the teenager having only five minutes of senior international experience from a May friendly against Russia. Hassan said the forward had shown enough potential in training and with Barcelona’s youth setup to merit selection.
The striker is the first FC Barcelona player to represent Egypt at a World Cup. Abdelkarim made his Al Ahly first-team debut in February 2025, becoming the club’s youngest player in the 21st century. He also featured for Egypt’s U-17 team at the Africa Cup of Nations and the U-17 World Cup, scoring 12 goals in 21 matches. Egypt’s Group G schedule includes matches against Belgium, New Zealand and Iran.