Hamza Abdelkarim makes Barcelona debut as he targets more Camp Nou moments

Hamza Abdelkarim says he is determined to experience the “incredible” feeling of playing for Barcelona at Camp Nou many more times after making his official debut for the club.

The Egypt international came on as a substitute for the final five minutes of Barcelona’s La Liga match against Rayo Vallecano in the third round of the season.

“It is an extremely exciting feeling to play an official match at Camp Nou, and I want to experience this feeling many times,” Abdelkarim told 3Cat.

The forward said he had been eager to appear in front of such a large crowd after being named among the substitutes for the opening two matches of Barcelona’s new campaign.

“I was very excited to play the match in front of so many fans. It is an incredible feeling, and I want to experience it again and again,” he added.

Abdelkarim also outlined his ambitions for the season, saying he wanted to make the greatest possible contribution to the team and help Barcelona compete for every honour.

“I hope to help the team as much as possible and that we win everything,” said the Egyptian.

The 19-year-old had been included on the first-team bench for Barcelona’s opening two matches after an impressive pre-season campaign, during which he scored four goals.

His appearance against Rayo Vallecano marked an important step after that preparation period, giving him his first competitive minutes for the senior side.

Abdelkarim also spoke positively about two of Barcelona’s most prominent attacking players, Raphinha and Lamine Yamal.

“Raphinha is a wonderful player. He has natural talent. He is a great person, and we all know that he always gives 100% of his effort on the side where he plays,” Abdelkarim said.

He described Yamal as a player with extraordinary ability and praised the teenager’s contribution to the team.

“Lamine Yamal is a magician. He has two amazing feet, and that makes him so enjoyable to watch,” Abdelkarim added.

“Lamine plays for the team and helps all of us do what we want to do.”

Barcelona have made a perfect start to their La Liga campaign and currently sit at the top of the table on goal difference ahead of Real Madrid.

Abdelkarim said remaining in first place must be Barcelona’s objective as the season develops.

“Being at the top of the table is where we should be, and we have to maintain it,” he said.

The Egyptian’s first-team opportunities followed a strong pre-season, and his late introduction against Rayo Vallecano offered him his first official taste of senior football at Camp Nou. With Barcelona leading La Liga on goal difference, he will now hope to build on that debut while continuing to compete for a place in the squad.