The fourth official raised the substitution board, signaling the exit of Mohamed Salah, captain of the Egyptian national football team, and the entry of a young boy named Hamza Abdel Karim against Belgium in the World Cup. It was a symbolic handover between two generations on the biggest sporting stage. Salah, the former Liverpool star and Egypt's second all-time top scorer, celebrated his 34th birthday in the draw with Belgium, part of a journey that will see the Pharaohs reach the round of 16 of the North American World Cup for the first time in history, to face Argentina led by Lionel Messi. On the other side of the line, with his entrance, Abdel Karim, born on January 1, 2008, became the youngest Egyptian and Arab player to participate in the World Cup finals at the age of 18 years and 165 days. The Barcelona striker came on as a substitute against New Zealand, Iran, and Australia. After the last match, he appeared in the mixed zone to answer journalists' questions. The player shyly and briefly responded about his feelings after the historic qualification to the round of 16: 'It's a great feeling, of course. We are all happy, us and you, and all of Egypt is happy.' He was asked about Salah's role with him and the advice he gives him in training or matches, he said: 'Not only with me, but with the whole team. He always tries to pass on his experience, and we try to benefit from him.' He added, 'In the end, we are talking about a player of Mohamed Salah's caliber and history, and that is indescribable. Just standing next to him was a dream for me.' Just months ago, Abdel Karim had not played any match with the Pharaohs' senior team, and his call-up was a surprise, coming at the expense of Mostafa Mohamed, the French Nantes striker. His coach Hossam Hassan refused to consider his selection in the squad a surprise. He said, 'Hamza is a very important player for Egyptian football and possesses all the qualities of a good striker. I am convinced of his abilities, and he will be useful for the national team in the near future.' In January 2026, Abdel Karim was loaned from Al Ahly to Barcelona, becoming the first Egyptian in the history of the Catalan club. Not long after, Barcelona activated the purchase clause in his contract from the Egyptian club in a deal worth about 1.5 million euros ($1.7 million) and decided to extend his contract until 2029. Fourteen days passed after Abdel Karim joined the Catalan team before he was allowed to play due to administrative hurdles, and when the opportunity finally came, he did not hesitate: three goals in fifteen minutes, all headers, in a match that ended 9-0. Antonio Perez, central defender of the Montecarlo youth team that faced Hamza, said, 'In the week before the match, the coach showed us many clips of him and warned us about his aerial game. He scored three goals.' He added, 'Our match was on May 3, and on the 15th of the same month we saw him in the World Cup... In a month and a half, he went from facing us to facing the best defenders in the world.' This rapid rise cannot be understood without his roots; Abdel Karim's father, Mohamed, is a former volleyball player for Al Ahly, known for his exceptional jump height, a trait clearly inherited by his son; his aunt Mona is one of the volleyball stars of the Red Castle (Al Ahly) and the Pharaohs. He began his football journey in Malaysia where his father worked, returned to Cairo and joined Al Ahly's football school at the age of 12. He excelled in the youth ranks and was called up by Swiss coach Marcel Koller to the first team, where he made his debut in February 2025. He shone in the U-17 World Cup last November, scoring two goals, and added five goals in seven matches with Barcelona's U-19 team. The young man answered a question about how he deals with pressure and criticism, saying, 'I am here just to play football. Anything outside the pitch, I try not to bother myself with it.' He continued, 'When I go onto the field, I do what I love, so I don't care what is said off the pitch, and all my focus is on football.' Egypt will play Argentina in the round of 16 on Tuesday in Atlanta. Despite the smiles hiding his shyness, he said confidently, 'Our ambition will not stop, and we will continue to work. As for Argentina, we will start thinking about them at the right time, and we will see what happens.'