A potential move to Barcelona could mark a watershed moment for Egyptian football, as Al Ahly midfielder Hamza Abdel Karim draws interest from one of the world’s most prominent clubs. The 17-year-old, who recently competed in the FIFA U-17 World Cup, is attracting attention as he eyes becoming the first Egyptian to play for Barcelona’s first team. This comes as Egyptian players have had limited representation in Spain’s La Liga, with previous attempts yielding mixed results and largely remaining at the youth level.
Egyptian football is on the verge of witnessing a potentially historic transfer, as Al Ahly midfielder Hamza Abdel Karim has been linked with a move to Spanish giants Barcelona.
Abdel Karim, who recently impressed with the Egypt Under-17 national team at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar last month, has attracted attention from several top European clubs. Prior to the reported interest from Barcelona, he was reportedly set to undergo a trial with Bayern Munich.
Should Abdel Karim complete a transfer to Barcelona, he would become the first Egyptian player to represent the club’s first team in football. However, he wouldn’t be the first Egyptian to play in the Spanish league.
Egyptian players have previously featured in La Liga, with Ahmed Hossam Mido, a former Zamalek star, enjoying the most notable spell with Celta Vigo, though his time with the club was relatively short.
Here’s a look back at the Egyptian players who have previously played for Spanish clubs:
1 – Ahmed Hossam Mido
Mido was the first Egyptian to make his mark in Spanish football, joining Celta Vigo on loan in the 2002-2003 season from Ajax.
He featured in 8 La Liga matches for Celta Vigo over six months, facing Athletic Bilbao, Espanyol, Real Betis, Osasuna, Valladolid, Deportivo Alavés, Villarreal, and Real Sociedad. Notably, he did not play against Barcelona or Real Madrid during his time with the club.
Mido scored 4 La Liga goals for Celta Vigo – against Athletic Bilbao, Osasuna (two goals), and Real Sociedad – representing the most significant Egyptian contribution to La Liga to date.
2 – Amr Tarek
Currently a defender for Tala’ea El Gaish, Tarek has had several professional stints across Europe and North America. He joined Real Betis in the 2015-2016 season from El Gouna in a deal reportedly worth around €300,000 (according to Transfermarkt).
Despite signing with Betis, Tarek did not make any official appearances for the team, quickly moving on loan to Columbus Crew in the United States. He returned to Egypt the following season, joining Enppi on a free transfer.
3 – Youth Level Experience
Hamza Abdel Karim’s potential move to Barcelona wouldn’t be the first instance of Egyptian youth players joining Spanish clubs. Real Betis previously signed Omar Sid Muaawad, a player from Al Ahly’s youth system, but a cruciate ligament injury cut his trial short.
Ziad Fathy, a youth player from Zamalek, also joined Celta Vigo in March of last year through their under-19 team, but that experience was also unsuccessful. He later moved to Skënderbeu Korçë’s youth team in Albania for the current season.
Egyptian football now places its hopes on Hamza Abdel Karim’s potential transfer to Barcelona, aiming for a new and impactful presence in La Liga after several previous attempts that didn’t quite reach their full potential, despite successes in other European leagues.
