Egyptian up-and-coming talent Hamza Abdelkarim has signed an exclusive deal with sports manufacturer Nike , thrusting him into the limelight as he prepares to head to the World Cup with the Pharaohs for the upcoming FIFA World Cup.
The 18-year-old will now endorse the sports manufacturing giant, exclusively wear and promote their products in a move that will propel him into stardom as one of the Middle East and North Africa's leading sporting talents, despite only having made his professional debut a little over a year ago.
Abdelkarim has joined Nike’s glittering roster, which includes France captain and Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe, Portugal and Al-Nassr’s Cristiano Ronaldo, and Manchester City’s powerhouse Norwegian striker, Erling Haaland.
Abdelkarim posted a video on his official Instagram account announcing his signing with the company. He captioned the video: "Pleased to join the Nike family."
Signing with a major sports company is a major milestone in any footballer’s career. Abdelkarim is also joined by his Egyptian teammate Omar Marmoush as part of the Nike athlete family. Who is the 18-year-old rising star from Cairo? Abdelkarim made headlines in February this year for his transfer from Cairo’s leading Al Ahly club to FC Barcelona’s reserve team, due to last until 30 June and with the option to buy at the end of the season.
The 18-year-old striker made history by becoming the first Egyptian to ever sign for a Barcelona side, notoriously known for prioritising homegrown Catalan talent.
Upon his signing, Abdelkarim said: "The feeling is great, I’m ready, I’m excited, I can't wait to be on the pitch."
"My goal is to give my all for this club, and hopefully make the first team, and represent this club in the best way possible."
The Egyptian striker is expected to sign for the club permanently, with Barcelona manager Hansi Flick recently saying that the youngster "could be an option" for next season and that he’s been keeping an eye on him.
Abdelkarim also made history with Al Ahly before joining Barcelona B, becoming the youngest-ever player to debut for the Cairo team in the 21st century.
The Egyptian prodigy’s place with the national team was confirmed over the weekend by coach Hossam Hassan following Egypt's friendly game with Russia. Abdelkarim was initially named as part of the squad's preliminary team a few weeks prior, but one player was due to be dropped before the Pharaohs left for North America for this month’s World Cup finals .
The 18-year-old’s inclusion, however, has raised some eyebrows, as he only has five minutes of international football under his belt, which came over the weekend in a friendly game against Russia.
But his impact and goalscoring for the youth team have impressed, along with his performance in training with the Blaugranas since he joined the club four months ago.
Abdelkarim has likely been given a chance to impress on the world stage as one of the world’s emerging and established young talents, along with Barcelona teammate and Spain international Lamine Yamal, Turkey’s Arda Guler, and Germany’s Lennart Karl.
His appearance at the World Cup could also pave the way for the Egyptian wunderkind crown, and follow in the footsteps of legendary striker Mido, who was capped for Egypt aged 17 in 2001.