Barcelona first-team hopeful sacrifices his holidays to make himself available for Hansi Flick | OneFootball

Hamza Abdelkarim is wasting no time in his attempt to convince Hansi Flick that he deserves a place around FC Barcelona’s first team.

The 18-year-old Egyptian striker has decided to give up his holidays following his participation at the 2026 World Cup. Instead, he will return to Barcelona and join Flick’s squad from the first day of pre-season on 13 July.

According to SPORT, Hamza made the decision after Egypt were eliminated by Argentina in the round of 16. The youngster had already gone directly from Barcelona’s youth competition schedule to international duty, leaving him with almost no opportunity to rest.

His aunt, Mona Abdel Karim, revealed that the striker will travel back to Barcelona on Monday to begin pre-season. The objective is clear: Hamza does not want to waste any opportunity to make an impression on Flick.

Hamza offers Flick something different

This could be a particularly important pre-season for the young forward. Flick is expected to work with several academy players during the opening weeks, especially while many first-team internationals remain unavailable.

Hamza arrives with an interesting profile. He scored six goals within his first few months with Barcelona’s Juvenil A and offers physical qualities that are not common among the club’s current attacking options.

The Egyptian is a traditional centre-forward who can play with his back to goal, occupy central defenders, and compete in the air. Those characteristics could make him a useful tactical alternative for Flick, even if expecting an immediate permanent first-team role would be premature.

Giving up his holidays shows Hamza’s determination, but Barcelona must also manage his physical condition responsibly. He has moved almost directly from youth competition to the World Cup and now into first-team pre-season.

The positive news is that Hamza clearly understands the size of the opportunity in front of him. With Barcelona believing his development should take place close to the senior squad rather than exclusively with Barca Atletic, these coming weeks could be significant.

Nobody should expect Hamza to force his way into Flick’s starting XI immediately. However, pre-season is about opening doors, and the young striker is doing everything possible to ensure he is there when his opportunity arrives.