Hamza Abdelkarim scores for Barcelona against former club Al Ahly but refuses to celebrate

Hamza Abdelkarim opened the scoring for Barcelona against his former club Al Ahly in Wednesday’s Joan Gamper Trophy match at Spotify Camp Nou, but the 18-year-old Egypt international chose not to celebrate.

Abdelkarim struck in the 30th minute after receiving a low cross from Alejandro Balde, who had been played in by Raphinha on the left. The forward finished against the side he represented before making his move to Barcelona permanent.

Rather than celebrate, Abdelkarim placed both hands on the sides of his head as a gesture of apology towards the Al Ahly supporters.

The fixture carries particular significance for the Egyptian forward, who is facing his former club after joining Barcelona on a permanent basis. He initially moved to the Catalan side on loan during the second half of last season.

Barcelona announced in June 2026 that it had activated the purchase option in Abdelkarim’s loan agreement. The player subsequently signed a new contract with the club which runs until the summer of 2029.

Abdelkarim has made a strong impression during Barcelona’s pre-season preparations. He scored in the Spanish side’s 5-2 victory over Swiss club Basel, before finding the net twice in a 2-2 draw with English side Birmingham City.

The striker also featured for Egypt at the 2026 World Cup. The Pharaohs were eliminated in the last 16 after suffering a dramatic 3-2 defeat by Argentina.

For Al Ahly, the meeting with Barcelona represents a major occasion against one of Europe’s leading clubs. For Abdelkarim, it has provided an early opportunity to face the team where he made his name before beginning a new chapter in Spain.

Barcelona are using the Joan Gamper Trophy encounter as their final preparation match before the start of the new season. The game is being played as part of the 61st edition of the traditional competition.

A video of Abdelkarim’s goal showed the young forward making his apology gesture immediately after scoring against Al Ahly, underlining the personal nature of the moment. His decision not to celebrate was also highlighted in coverage of the match.

The original report also directed readers to Koora forums to discuss the story and other football news in greater depth. Related headlines referenced a former team-mate of Lionel Messi returning to the use of “dark arts” after an appeal to the referee of a World Cup final, as well as praise for Ismaila Sarr following his conduct involving Jamal Musiala.