Barcelona youngster Hamza Abdelkarim follows Lamine Yamal’s path with first-team debut

Hamza Abdelkarim made his official Barcelona first-team debut by coming on in the final minutes of the La Liga match against Rayo Vallecano.

The 18-year-old Egyptian forward replaced Raphinha, who received a warm reception from the Barcelona supporters as he left the field. Abdelkarim entered Spotify Camp Nou wearing the number 29 shirt and played the final five minutes, marking the first competitive appearance of his senior career for the Catalan club.

His debut came only hours before Barcelona announced the signing of Gabriel Jesus. The imminent arrival of the Brazilian forward was particularly significant for Abdelkarim, who had been the only recognised central striker in the first-team squad before the deal was completed.

Abdelkarim had already attracted attention during Barcelona’s pre-season preparations. He finished the campaign’s build-up as the team’s leading scorer, with four goals, including his final effort at Camp Nou in the Joan Gamper Trophy against his former club, Al Ahly.

His first-team appearance also carried a historical parallel with Lamine Yamal. Like the Barcelona winger, Abdelkarim made his senior debut for the club before appearing for Barca Atletic, having begun his development with the youth sides.

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick had indicated before the Rayo Vallecano match that players who had earned an opportunity would be given minutes. Abdelkarim was one of those players, with Flick praising his development and confirming that he would be involved.

“We are thinking about giving minutes to the players who deserve it. He deserves it. I see how he develops day by day. He has the right style and mentality. He deserves to play and he will play. We have to give him minutes and the chance to show the quality he has in a league match,” Flick said before the game.

The appearance rewarded Abdelkarim’s contribution during pre-season and gave him his first experience of a competitive fixture with Barcelona’s senior side. It also placed him in the same unusual sequence as Yamal, who similarly reached the first team before making an appearance for Barcelona’s second team.

For Abdelkarim, the brief outing against Rayo Vallecano represented the latest step in a rapid rise. He had impressed during the preparation period, ended it as Barcelona’s top scorer and then became part of Flick’s plans for a La Liga fixture.

The arrival of Gabriel Jesus is expected to increase competition for places in attack, but Abdelkarim’s debut ensures that his progress has already been recognised at first-team level. With his first official minutes now completed, he has followed a route previously taken by one of Barcelona’s most prominent young talents in Yamal.