Barcelona forward Hamza Abdelkarim faces fresh uncertainty after Hossam Hassan exit

The departure of Hossam Hassan as Egypt manager has dealt a significant blow to the international prospects of young Barcelona forward Hamza Abdelkarim, who had been given a place at the World Cup despite his limited experience.

Spanish newspaper Sport reported that Hassan’s dismissal represents a setback for Abdelkarim, who had benefited from the former manager’s strong backing and was handed the opportunity to compete on football’s biggest stage.

Abdelkarim’s career has developed rapidly in recent months. After making an impressive start, he renewed his contract with Barcelona and recently played for the club’s under-19 side against Aston Villa in the UEFA Youth League.

He was then included in the first-team squad and remained on the substitutes’ bench under German manager Hansi Flick. The forward has also featured for Barcelona Atletic as he continues his progression within the Catalan club.

Barcelona regard Abdelkarim as a striker with a distinctive set of qualities, including intelligent movement inside the penalty area, a capacity to finish attacks and strong ability in the air.

Hassan’s backing

Hassan was one of Abdelkarim’s most prominent supporters in the Egypt set-up. Despite the player’s young age and limited international experience, he trusted his ability and selected him for Egypt’s World Cup squad.

Egypt impressed during the tournament before being eliminated by Argentina, who were the reigning champions at the time, in the last 16. The result came after Egypt had taken a 2-0 lead.

Abdelkarim appeared in most of Egypt’s matches and made a clear impression during the competition, further strengthening the importance of the opportunity Hassan had given him.

The manager’s departure now leaves the striker facing a new stage in his international career. He has lost the coach who placed his trust in him and introduced him during one of the most important periods of his development with Egypt.

The national side are preparing to play Malawi in two matches in the qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations, with Abdelkarim’s involvement and role under the new management likely to be closely watched.

Sport said Ali Maher, the former Ceramica Cleopatra manager, will succeed Hassan. Attention will now focus on Maher’s initial decisions and whether Abdelkarim continues to receive the opportunities he enjoyed under the previous coaching staff.

The relevant fixtures listed are Atletico Madrid against Barcelona in La Liga on 08 November 2026, followed by Egypt against Malawi in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on 13 November 2026.