Egypt’s Hamza Abdel Karim reports early as Barcelona begin pre-season preparations

Egypt international Hamza Abdel Karim was among the first players to report for Barcelona’s pre-season on Monday, making an early return from his World Cup duties as Hansi Flick’s side began preparations for the new campaign.

The Catalan club resumed activities at the Joan Gamper Sports City with players undergoing routine medical and physical tests ahead of the start of pre-season training.

According to Mundo Deportivo, head coach Hansi Flick, who is preparing for his third season in charge of Barcelona, was the first to arrive at the training complex.

Egyptian forward cuts short his break

Academy prospect Toni Fernandez was the first player to report despite uncertainty surrounding his future at the club.

He was quickly followed by Hamza Abdel Karim, who had only recently completed his World Cup campaign with Egypt and returned after a brief holiday.

The Egyptian youngster reportedly caught the attention of Flick by arriving early at the Joan Gamper Sports City accompanied by members of his family.

Barcelona are set to begin their La Liga season from the second round after their opening fixture was postponed because 10 members of the squad were involved with their national teams during the latter stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Medical checks begin for first-team squad

New signing Ronnie Bardghji also reported for pre-season as he prepares for his first campaign with Barcelona, although his long-term future remains uncertain amid speculation he could be loaned out.

Midfielder Marc Casadó was among the first senior players to complete his medical examinations, while goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen also underwent fitness tests as questions continue over his future at the club.

Defender Alejandro Balde and goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny also began their preparations for the new season, with the Polish international continuing his stay at the Catalan giants.

Fermín López, Héctor Fort, Marc Bernal, Gerard Martín and Andreas Christensen were also present as Barcelona officially kicked off preparations for the 2026-27 campaign.