Abdulkarim: "We're Not Playing Only Against Messi"

Hamza Abdulkarim, a member of the Egypt national team and Barcelona, shared his thoughts ahead of the Round of 16 match against Argentina at the 2026 World Cup.

The 18-year-old footballer emphasized that while everyone's attention is focused on Lionel Messi, the Egyptians will fight against the entire Argentina team.

Both teams had a difficult path

Egypt advanced to the Round of 16 after defeating Australia in a penalty shootout in the first playoff round.

Argentina, meanwhile, won 3:2 against Cape Verde after extra time in a fiercely contested match.

Thus, in the next round, Egypt and the reigning world champions will face each other.

A firm answer to the question about Messi

Abdulkarim was asked whether he had dreamed of playing against Lionel Messi at the World Cup.

"We're not playing against Messi alone, but against the Argentina national team," said the footballer.

The young forward's response showed that Egypt's national team is preparing not just for one opponent player, but for the entire team.

So far, he has come off the bench in all matches

Hamza Abdulkarim has appeared in all four of Egypt's matches at this World Cup.

However, he came off the bench in the final minutes of each match. Nevertheless, the 18-year-old is regarded as one of the team's key young talents.

Barcelona decided to sign him

In early June, it was reported that Barcelona had decided to sign Abdulkarim from Egypt's Al-Ahly.

Now the young footballer may get another opportunity in the match against Argentina and take the field against the stars of world football.