Lamine supports Hamza to follow in Salah's footsteps

Barcelona star Lamine Yamal has backed his Egyptian teammate Hamza Abdelkarim, the club's young striker, to follow in the footsteps of his compatriot Mohamed Salah and forge a historic career with the Egyptian national team . In comments reported by the Spanish newspaper Sport, Yamal stated that Salah is one of the most prominent African players in the English Premier League, praising the Egyptian captain's performances . The Barcelona star added, "Salah is a great and extremely important player," emphasizing that Hamza Abdelkarim possesses the skills and abilities to reach a similar level . Abdelkarim, 18, joined Barcelona from Al Ahly and impressed during preseason. He has also represented the Egyptian national team, including at the 2026 World Cup . Yamal expressed his hope that the Egyptian striker will continue his development, saying he hopes he will "become a legend in Egyptian football ." Yamal's praise, one of Barcelona's most prominent stars at the moment, gives Abdelkarim a great morale boost at the beginning of his journey with the Catalan club despite their similar ages, especially with Salah setting a role model for the young player .