The future is now for 18-year-old striker on Egypt's World Cup squad

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Egypt striker Hamza Abdelkarim is just 18 and one of the youngest players at the World Cup, but he's handling soccer's biggest stage as a seasoned professional.

The 6-footer is one of 22 teenagers on squads at the World Cup and he's the youngest player ever to play for his nation in the tournament.

Some are calling Abdelkarim Egypt's heir apparent to Mohamed Salah, now 34, who is arguably the team's biggest star. Abdelkarim subbed in for Salah in the 76th minute of Egypt's World Cup opener against Belgium.

What sets Abdelkarim apart is his poise. Following the 1-1 draw with Belgium, he confidently spoke for the squad for the television cameras.

“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,” he said.

Egypt faces New Zealand on Sunday in Vancouver, with both teams seeking their first-ever World Cup win. New Zealand played to a 2-2 draw with Iran in its opener, making all of the teams in Group G even on points.

Abdelkarim had never played for Egypt's senior team when he was named to the preliminary World Cup squad in May. He made his debut that month in a World Cup tune-up match against Russia as a substitute in the 86th minute.

Abdelkarim became the youngest player for Egyptian Premier League club Al Ahly when he made his debut at 17.

He was loaned from Al Ahly to Barcelona earlier this year and he made his debut with Barcelona Juvenil in March. Barcelona was expected to formally make the move permanent in the coming days.

To top off his fast rise, he recently signed a sponsorship deal with Nike.

Egypt will still lean on Salah, the four-time Premier League Golden Boot winner with Liverpool, who had nine goals and three assists in six World Cup qualifying matches. There's also 27-year-old Omar Marmoush, who plays for Manchester City.

But coach Hossam Hassan is also looking to the future.

“What matters to me is that the Egyptian fans who are watching us now — and what the whole world wants to see — is that the performance of the Egyptian national team earns great respect. They should see that besides all the stars such as Omar and Salah, there is collective football that does not depend on a single player, and that we work in an organized collective manner.”

The youngest player at the World Cup is Mexico’s Gilberto Mora, who is 17 years old. Other high profile teens in the tournament include Spain’s Lamine Yamal and Senegal’s Ibrahim Mbaye, both 18, and Brazil's Endrick, 19.

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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup