Barcelona forward Hamza Abdelkarim says he still follows every Al Ahly match

Barcelona forward Hamza Abdelkarim says he continues to watch every Al Ahly game, describing the Egyptian club as the place where he grew up and learned his football.

Asked by reporters after his contract renewal conference whether he still followed Al Ahly, Abdelkarim replied: “Of course, I watch all the matches. Al Ahly are playing a game today.”

He added: “I always watch Al Ahly because it is the club where I grew up and learned a lot. Egypt and its people support me, as do Arabs in general, to be honest.”

Abdelkarim has extended his Barcelona contract until 2030 after the club completed his permanent signing from Al Ahly in the summer, following a six-month loan spell last season.

Contract details

Mona Abdelkarim, a member of the Egyptian Volleyball Federation board and Hamza’s aunt, disclosed further details of the agreement.

She said the contract could be extended by another year, depending on Abdelkarim’s contributions to the Catalan side.

“The contract of Hamza Abdelkarim has been extended until 2030, with the possibility of adding one further year based on Hamza’s contributions with the Catalan team,” she wrote on her page.

She also revealed that his release clause had risen from 15m euros to 120m euros until 2030. That figure would increase to 150m euros if the additional year is activated.

Barcelona progress

The Egyptian forward joined Barcelona on 1 February 2026, initially on loan until the end of the season. He made his first appearance on 8 March for the youth team away at Huesca, scoring in the match.

Abdelkarim scored six goals in just nine league appearances, including a hat-trick in a 9-0 victory over Monte Carlo on the day Barcelona were crowned first-division champions.

Barcelona activated the option to sign him permanently in the summer of 2026, after he had also taken part in the 2026 World Cup. He then began pre-season training with the first team under manager Hansi Flick, finishing the preparations as the leading scorer with four goals.

On 31 August, Abdelkarim made his senior debut in a match against Rayo Vallecano at Camp Nou.

He had joined from Al Ahly in January on loan, before Barcelona exercised the purchase option in the summer.

FilGoal.com previously reported details of the transfer. Barcelona paid 1.5m euros for the permanent deal in two instalments, while Al Ahly could receive a further 3m-5m euros depending on Abdelkarim’s appearances and goals for the first team and reserve side.

Al Ahly also retained a 15% sell-on clause for any future transfer.

Abdelkarim came on as a substitute for the final nine minutes against Rayo Vallecano in the Spanish league, becoming the third Egyptian to play in the competition after Ahmed Hossam Mido for Celta Vigo and Haitham Hassan for Real Oviedo.

He is included in Barcelona’s squad for the 2026-27 Champions League.