A significant portion of the FC Barcelona first team is going to have quite a busy summer this year, as several Blaugrana players have already been called up by their respective national teams for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, while some others are still awaiting these call-ups.
Some of the World Cup squads published up to now have already caused quite a stir in the footballing world, as several notable names are set to miss out on the biggest event in international football, while some unexpected players have managed to make the lists.
In this regard, one particularly pleasant surprise for Barcelona and its fans was the inclusion of youngster Hamza Abdelkarim in the Egypt national team squad for the World Cup.
The 18-year-old forward is currently on loan at the Blaugrana club from Al-Ahli, and despite not yet having fully broken into professional football, he is now set to share the stage with players like Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush at the mega event.
This latest development in the youngster’s career is already having an impact on his future at Barcelona, and one such effect is now becoming quite clear.
According to [Mundo Deportivo](https://www.mundodeportivo.com/futbol/fc-barcelona/20260522/1004186279/hamza-barca-ejecutara-opcion-compra.html), the Catalan club has made the decision to exercise the [€3 million purchase option](https://semprebarca.com/barcelona-close-to-signing-hamza-abdelkarim-on-loan-purchase-option-also-revealed/) included in the agreement with Al Ahli, although the final operation could rise to €5 million with variables.
The Catalan club remains attentive to its financial situation and La Liga’s 1:1 rule, but there is also a growing belief internally that Hamza has a very promising future ahead of him.
The Egyptian attacker arrived at Barcelona last February after the Blaugrana side reached an agreement with Al Ahli for a loan deal with a purchase option. Since then, he has continued to impress at the youth level, and earlier this month, he particularly caught attention after scoring a hat trick in just over 15 minutes in Juvenil A’s 9-0 win over Montecarlo.
At Barcelona, Hamza Abdelkarim has still not been able to make the step up to Barça Atlètic due to a bureaucratic issue, but with his career now developing at such a rapid pace, it would hardly be surprising to see him knocking on the doors of the first team in the coming months.