Barcelona friendly to shape La Masia futures as Hamza Abdelkarim stakes first-team claim

Barcelona’s pre-season friendly against Birmingham City on Friday is set to be a key audition for several La Masia prospects, with Egypt forward Hamza Abdelkarim among those under close scrutiny from head coach Hansi Flick.

Mundo Deportivo reports that the match in England is expected to give the clearest indication yet of which academy players have convinced Flick they are ready to feature in his plans for the 2026-27 campaign.

Abdelkarim has been named in a 30-man squad for the training camp in England, a group that includes a number of established first-team players, alongside members of Barcelona Atletic and the youth ranks.

Flick leaning on La Masia for depth

According to the report, Flick is increasingly persuaded that La Masia can provide much of the squad depth Barcelona will require next season, with Abdelkarim among those being carefully assessed as potential first-team options.

The 20-year-old, who features for the Egypt national team, travelled with the senior Barcelona squad to England for the pre-season camp, having already joined up with them in Spain on the opening day of preparations.

Despite his involvement at the 2026 World Cup with Egypt, Abdelkarim chose not to take any post-tournament holiday. Instead, he flew directly to Spain to start work with the Catalan club, determined to be present from the very start of pre-season.

Flick has opted to integrate Abdelkarim and a group of other youngsters into first-team training and matches during the build-up to the new campaign, using the camp as an extended evaluation period.

First-team chances despite B-team plan

Abdelkarim is expected to be registered with Barcelona’s B team for the coming season, but the report stresses that his prospects of earning minutes with the first team are far from slim.

The Egyptian started Barcelona’s first warm-up fixture of the summer, a friendly last Friday against a side known as Team Europe, who play in the Spanish third tier. His World Cup performances have also strengthened his position within the club.

Abdelkarim featured in four matches for Egypt at the 2026 World Cup, and that exposure at international level has enhanced his standing at Barcelona’s technical staff.

The club decided to activate a purchase option in his loan deal from Al Ahly, paying €1.5m to sign him permanently after a six-month spell. He scored six goals in 11 games for Barcelona’s youth team in the second half of last season, a return that convinced the club to complete the transfer.

Injured De Jong travels as internationals filter back

Flick’s 30-man list for the England camp also includes Frenkie de Jong, who is still recovering from injury, while Brazil winger Raphinha joined the group on Wednesday.

Other internationals who were involved at the World Cup are scheduled to return gradually over the course of pre-season, rejoining the squad in phases as they complete their mandated rest periods.

Barcelona’s preparatory schedule for the new campaign is as follows:

– 27 July – 3 August: pre-season training camp in England – 31 July: friendly v Birmingham City – 8 August: two friendlies v Udinese and Nottingham Forest – 19 August: Joan Gamper Trophy match v Al Ahly

Within that programme, the Birmingham City fixture has been highlighted as a particularly significant test for the club’s homegrown talent. For Abdelkarim and several of his La Masia contemporaries, it could be the moment that determines whether they step up into Flick’s first-team thinking or continue their development primarily with Barcelona’s lower sides.