Hamza shines for Barcelona against Birmingham

Egyptian player Hamza Abdul Karim scored two goals in his team Barcelona’s match against Birmingham City, which ended with the English side winning 3-2 on penalties after the regular time concluded in a 2-2 draw. Abdul Karim scored Barcelona’s first goal from a penalty kick in the 42nd minute, and the second from a rebound off the goalkeeper in the 60th minute. Birmingham had taken the lead through August Presk in the 31st minute, and added a second goal in the 68th minute, scored by John Solis.

German coach Hansi Flick relied on a squad composed of substitute and young players, as Barcelona’s full roster was not available due to most of his players being involved with their national teams in the advanced stages of the 2026 World Cup.

Flick praised Hamza’s outstanding performance, saying in post-match comments: “I think Abdul Karim is extremely humble. He has a good personality and an excellent mindset. He possesses great, indeed immense, potential. A striker must always be in the right place. If an opportunity arises inside the penalty area, he needs to be there, and that’s exactly what he did. This will give him a lot of confidence in the coming week.”

He added: “You can see that he has great potential, as do many other players. What matters most to me is that they show quality in their performance, and I greatly appreciate that. The quality is good, as is the enthusiasm and atmosphere within the team among these young players. It is a pleasure for me to work with them.”

Meanwhile, Barcelona signed the young Belgian winger Jesse Bessou, 18, on a contract until 2031, from Belgian club Club Brugge, where he had been playing for the reserve team in the country’s second division.