Barcelona's young forward Hamza Abdelkarim has been included among the players receiving particular attention from FIFA.
According to İdman.Biz, FIFA selected seven young footballers who impressed at the 2025 FIFA U17 World Cup in Qatar and continued to make progress in 2026. The Egyptian forward is among them.
Alongside Abdelkarim, FIFA highlighted Samuele Inacio, Cavan Sullivan, Remi Himbert, Matthew Baker, Noah Fernandes and Ze Lucas. Abdelkarim's inclusion is viewed as recognition of his rapid development over the past year.
The 18-year-old first attracted widespread attention at the U-17 World Cup in Qatar. He was one of Egypt's most dangerous players at the tournament and shouldered much of the team's goalscoring responsibility. FIFA also singled out Abdelkarim's performances in its coverage of the tournament.
His progress did not stop there. After joining Barcelona, the young forward quickly made an impression in the club's youth sides before being invited to train with the first team.
Abdelkarim particularly impressed in a pre-season friendly against Birmingham City, scoring both of Barcelona's goals. He first converted a penalty he had won himself before finding space inside the box to complete his brace.
Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick was also pleased with the youngster's performance. The German praised Abdelkarim's qualities as a classic centre-forward, particularly his ability to find the right positions in the box and create goalscoring opportunities.
The Egyptian's growing involvement with the first team comes as Barcelona look for new solutions to strengthen their attack. Under the current plan, Barcelona Atlètic will remain Abdelkarim's main development platform, while he will continue training with Flick's first team and could make appearances when opportunities arise.
FIFA's decision to feature him among seven young talents on the rise shows that Abdelkarim is already attracting attention not only at Barcelona but also across the international football community.
