Egypt brought Hamza Abdelkarim to the World Cup without him having ever played a senior international. He'd made his debut for Al Ahly at 17, played his first game for Egypt in May as an 86th-minute substitute in a warm-up against Russia, and now here he is — coming off the bench for Mohamed Salah at soccer's biggest tournament. Fast doesn't cover it.
Abdelkarim, 18, subbed in for Salah at the 76th minute of Egypt's 1-1 draw with Belgium in their Group G opener. Then, when the cameras came looking for a quote afterwards, he stepped up and delivered one — composed, measured, not a flicker of nerves.
"The whole team wanted the three points. We got one point at the end, but we gave it our all. And we need to thank the fans that came, the atmosphere was great and we focus on the next match."
That's not the sound of a teenager overwhelmed by the occasion. That's a player who belongs.
The Salah succession question
Salah is 34 and still the anchor of this Egypt side — nine goals and three assists across six World Cup qualifiers make that case clearly enough. Alongside Omar Marmoush at Manchester City, Egypt have real quality in the final third. But coach Hossam Hassan knows what's coming, and he's not pretending otherwise.
"Besides all the stars such as Omar and Salah, there is collective football that does not depend on a single player," Hassan said. Reading between the lines: Abdelkarim is part of that picture, not just a novelty call-up.
The kid is already on loan at Barcelona — he made his Juvenil debut in March, and a permanent move is reportedly close. He's signed with Nike. He's the youngest player Egypt have ever fielded at a World Cup. The timeline on his career is moving at a pace that would make most teenagers dizzy. He looks entirely unbothered.
Egypt vs New Zealand: what's at stake on Sunday
Egypt face New Zealand on Sunday in Vancouver with both sides still chasing their first-ever World Cup win. New Zealand drew 2-2 with Iran, meaning all four teams in Group G are level on points after one game. It's as open as a group gets.
For Egypt, that's an opportunity — and a test of whether Abdelkarim is a cameo player or something more. Anyone looking at Egypt's anytime scorer markets should be keeping his name close. A teenager on loan at Barcelona, subbing in for Salah, with nothing to lose and everything to prove, is exactly the kind of player who makes those bets interesting.
The youngest player at this World Cup is Mexico's Gilberto Mora at 17. Lamine Yamal, Endrick, Ibrahim Mbaye — there's no shortage of teenage talent on show. Abdelkarim belongs in that conversation. Whether Egypt's squad depth is enough to go deep in this tournament is another matter entirely. But the heir to Salah? He's already here.
