Young Egyptian player, Hamza Abdelkarim, made his competitive debut for FC Barcelona during the club’s 5–2 La Liga victory over Rayo Vallecano on Monday, 31 August, becoming the first Egyptian player to represent Barcelona’s first team in a competitive fixture. Abdelkarim entered the match in the closing stages, replacing Raphinha. Although his time on the pitch was brief, the appearance carried enormous significance. He became the first Egyptian player in Barcelona’s history to appear in a competitive match for the first team. He is also only the third Egyptian to play in La Liga, following Mido and Haissem Hassan. The 18-year-old had impressed throughout Barcelona’s preseason, finishing as the team’s leading scorer with four goals. His performances in training also caught the attention of head coach Hansi Flick, who had previously praised the youngster’s mentality, improvement and goalscoring ability. He came onto the pitch as Barcelona controlled the closing moments of a convincing victory, and he was on the field when the Catalan side scored their fifth and final goal. Abdelkarim’s journey to Barcelona came through the youth system at Al Ahly SC before joining Barcelona on loan in…
