According to a report by Barca Universal on Wednesday November 4, 2026, nominated for the CAF Young Player of the Year award in 2026, Barcelona youngster Hamza Abdelkarim has garnered significant recognition.

Ayyoub Bouaddi, a promising youngster from Manchester City, is among the other promising players that have made it to the final 10-man shortlist, which includes the 18-year-old Egyptian forward.

The teen's remarkable growth since signing with Barcelona earlier this year is reflected in the nomination. After initially joining the Catalan club in February on loan from Egyptian powerhouse Al-Ahly, Abdelkarim eventually left for his own club.

While playing for the Juvenile A Under-19 squad in the second half of last season, he made an immediate impact.

Barcelona exercised the permanent purchase option in the loan agreement for the young striker after he scored six goals in nine league appearances. After making his national team debut and competing for Egypt in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, he gained international recognition for his progress.

Hansi Flick included Abdelkarim in the first team setup after his permanent arrival. In preseason play, he was equally impressive, scoring four goals. Nevertheless, chances have been few since the start of this campaign.

Only twelve minutes of 2026–27 first-team action have been played by the Egyptian forward. In his lone game for Barcelona Atletic, he has also scored a goal. The club still thinks highly of him, even though he doesn't get much playing time.

Several promising young footballers will challenge Abdelkarim for the continental trophy. The list of nominees includes Ayyoub Bouaddi of Manchester City and Yan Diomande of Real Madrid. Christian Kofane and Ibrahim Maza, both of Bayer Leverkusen, have also been named to the final roster.

Other potential participants are Ibrahim Mbaye of Aston Villa, Christ Inao, Caleb Yirenkyi, Ismael Kamissoko, Abdellah Ouazane, and others. This nomination is a huge step forward for Abdelkarim's career so far.