Lamine Yamal Backs Barcelona Youngster Hamza Abdelkarim for a Huge Future
Lamine Yamal has already become one of Barcelona and Spain’s most influential players despite his young age, and the teenage superstar is now backing another promising talent to make a major impact at the club.
Yamal has singled out Hamza Abdelkarim, the young Egyptian striker who joined Barcelona’s setup earlier this year and has already shown glimpses of his goalscoring ability.
The forward impressed during pre-season, and Yamal believes Abdelkarim possesses the qualities needed to develop into a top-level striker.
Speaking to On Sport, Yamal also stressed that Barcelona must give the youngster enough time and support to adapt to a completely different footballing environment.
Yamal Sees a Bright Future for Abdelkarim
Yamal's praise for Abdelkarim goes beyond the goals the Egyptian has already scored.
The Barcelona winger believes the youngster has the technical and attacking qualities necessary to become an important centre-forward in the future.
“He’s a player with a brilliant future ahead of him. He’s still young and has all the qualities to become a great striker. I think he’ll make the most of his time at the club and score plenty of goals.”
Abdelkarim's natural goalscoring ability has already attracted attention, but adapting to Barcelona's style will be an equally important part of his development.
Yamal believes the young striker has the flexibility to make that transition successfully.
“We’ve all seen it; he’s a striker who scores plenty of goals. He’ll benefit from his time at Barcelona.”
The Barça star added:
“He’s a very adaptable player. We’re a great team. We always try to make him feel at home.”
👉 JOIN THE CULERS NEWS ON TELEGRAM — Get the latest Barcelona news, transfers and young-star updates
Yamal Has One Important Message for the Young Striker
While Yamal clearly sees significant potential in Abdelkarim, he does not believe the youngster should be rushed.
Having experienced the pressure of breaking through at Barcelona himself, Yamal understands how difficult it can be for a young player to establish himself at the club.
His advice is therefore simple: remain calm, stay focused and allow the process to take its course.
“He needs to stay calm and confident when he plays. The most important thing is that he stays calm and focused, and he’ll have plenty of time.”
Yamal also made it clear that Abdelkarim should not feel overwhelmed by expectations.
“No one will ask anything of him, nor will anyone blame him for anything.”
The Barcelona winger understands that adapting to life at Barça takes time, particularly for a player arriving from another country and footballing environment.
“He’ll need time to settle in, and that’s normal. We’ve all been through this. He’s coming from a different league and a different country. He just needs to stay calm and composed.”
Yamal remains confident that the Egyptian's qualities will eventually shine through.
“We all know how good he is and that he’s a prolific goalscorer. Everything will fall into place in due course. So my advice to him is to stay calm and focused. He’ll become an excellent player.”
Yamal Compares Abdelkarim's Potential to Salah
Yamal went even further when discussing what Abdelkarim could eventually represent for Egyptian football.
The Barcelona star pointed to Mohamed Salah as an example of the level of impact an Egyptian player can achieve on the international stage.
“Salah is a truly great and important player, and he’s one of the best African players in the English Premier League.”
Yamal believes Abdelkarim possesses the ability to follow a similar path.
“Hamza is a player who has the skills and ability to achieve that, and I hope he becomes a football legend in Egypt.”
It is an enormous compliment for a young striker who is still at the beginning of his Barcelona journey.
The comparison does not mean Abdelkarim is expected to immediately reach Salah's level, but it highlights the potential Yamal believes exists within the Egyptian forward.
Yamal Also Talks About the Ballon d'Or
During the same interview, Yamal also addressed the Ballon d'Or and the growing presence of African players among the world's elite.
The Barcelona star acknowledged that individual ambition is part of football, but he believes talent should matter more than nationality when players are being recognised.
“It’s certainly a possibility. We all play to win, whether it’s as a team or individually, such as the Ballon d’Or.”
Yamal also expressed his pride at seeing African footballers receive greater recognition on the global stage.
“I think it’s a source of pride for all of us, the players from African countries; we feel proud when we see African players on the podium or on the shortlist.”
He hopes that trend continues, with more African players competing for the game's biggest individual honours.
“I hope there will be more and more of them, but I believe that what matters is not nationality, but talent.”
Barcelona Will Be Watching Abdelkarim's Development
For now, Hamza Abdelkarim still has plenty of development ahead of him.
The Egyptian striker must adapt to Barcelona's football, compete for opportunities and continue developing away from the enormous expectations that naturally surround young talents at the club.
But he already has an important supporter inside the Barcelona dressing room.
Lamine Yamal knows better than most what it takes to break through at Barça at a young age. His message to Abdelkarim is clear: there is no need to rush.
If the youngster can remain patient, adapt to the club's demands and continue producing goals, the potential Yamal sees in him could eventually become reality.