Confirmed: Barcelona starlet Hamza Abdelkarim nominated for CAF Young Player of the Year award

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Kickjolly · AI-written · automatically reviewed · Barca Universal ↗

FC Barcelona starlet Hamza Abdelkarim has been nominated for the CAF Young Player of the Year award for 2026, according to Barca Universal. Abdelkarim, an 18-year-old Egyptian striker, is among the final ten-man shortlist alongside other African talents like Manchester City's Ayyoub Bouaddi. He arrived at Barça in February on a loan deal from Al-Ahly and impressed with six goals in nine Juvenil A league appearances.

Abdelkarim's performance led to Barça activating the permanent purchase clause during the summer transfer window. He was then drafted into the first-team dynamics under Hansi Flick and scored four goals during pre-season. However, he has struggled to secure significant minutes since the season started, playing only 12 first-team minutes in 2026/27.

The nomination is attributed to his progress with both Barcelona and the Egyptian national team, for whom he made his debut and represented at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Abdelkarim will compete for the award with other highly regarded prospects, including Real Madrid's Yan Diomande and Bayer Leverkusen's Ibrahim Maza.