Egyptian Stars Set for European Club Competitions in 2026/27

Rana Atef Egyptian football fans will have several reasons to follow European club competitions this season, with a number of the country's leading players preparing to feature across the UEFA Champions League, Europa League and Conference League. The 2026/27 campaign will see Egyptian talent represented at some of Europe's biggest clubs, with young striker Hamza Abdelkarim included in Barcelona's Champions League squad, while Haisam Hassan is set to compete in the Europa League with Celtic. Mohamed Salah and Ibrahim Adel will represent Trabzonspor and Nordsjaelland respectively in the Conference League. Hamza Abdelkarim Earns Barcelona Champions League Spot Barcelona have included Egyptian striker Hamza Abdelkarim in their squad for the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League campaign, giving the 18-year-old a chance to compete at the highest level of European club football. Abdelkarim joined Barcelona from Egyptian giants Al Ahly in January and impressed with the club's Under-19 side before earning opportunities with the first team. He also represented Egypt at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Dani Olmo x Hamza Abdelkarim 🤩 pic.twitter.com/xfTL84ZLbg — Més Blaugrana (@MesBlaugrana) September 7, 2026 The young forward made an impact during Barcelona's pre-season preparations, scoring four goals before making his official senior debut as a substitute in the 5-2 La Liga victory over Rayo Vallecano. Barcelona face a demanding Champions League schedule, with league-phase matches against Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Aston Villa, Sporting Lisbon, Feyenoord, Galatasaray, Como and Slavia Prague. ليلة تاريخية في انتظار حمزة عبد الكريم ❤️🔥 حمزة سيرتدي «شارة الظهور الأول» تكريمًا لمشاركته الأولى في دوري أبطال أوروبا مع برشلونة 🇪🇬⭐ pic.twitter.com/1ikzfFX3Ya — 👑King Hossame_ gamil👑 (@Hossameking74) September 7, 2026 For Abdelkarim, the campaign offers an important opportunity to gain experience on Europe's biggest club stage and establish himself within Barcelona's first-team plans. Haisam Hassan Begins Europa League Journey With Celtic Egyptian winger Haisam Hassan will take part in the Europa League after joining Scottish giants Celtic, who face a challenging eight-game league-phase schedule. Celtic have been drawn against Marseille, Benfica, Ferencvaros, Union Saint-Gilloise, Celta Vigo, Omonia, Besiktas and Torreense. 💙 pic.twitter.com/irHUtteqhw — هيثم حسن / Haitham hassan (@HaithamH19976) September 5, 2026 Hassan will be hoping to make his mark in European competition as he looks to strengthen his position at Celtic and continue developing his career at the continental level. Mohamed Salah Targets European Success With Trabzonspor Mohamed Salah is set for another European adventure after Trabzonspor secured a place in the Conference League following their exit from the Europa League qualifying campaign. The Turkish club's league-phase opponents include Freiburg, Red Star Belgrade, Hearts, KuPS, Jablonec and CSKA Sofia. 🇪🇬 Mohamed Salah ⚽ 📸: @TrabzonsporEN | #UECL pic.twitter.com/XuCx7nHdcP — UEFA Conference League (@Conf_League) September 7, 2026 Salah's involvement is expected to attract particular attention from Egyptian supporters, with the national team captain looking to add another chapter to his extensive European career while helping Trabzonspor compete for a deep run in the tournament. Ibrahim Adel Joins Nordsjaelland in Conference League Ibrahim Adel will also feature in the Conference League after securing his place in Nordsjaelland's squad for the league phase. The Danish club will face Panathinaikos, Monaco, KuPS, Hearts, CSKA Sofia and Hajduk Split in their six matches. BUUUUUUUT IBRAHIM ADEL ! ⚽️🇪🇬🌟 IBRAHIM ADEL OFFRE LA VICTOIRE À NORDSJAELLAND D'UNE RETOURNÉE ACROBATIQUE…😳🔥 #FCNSIF | #SLDK pic.twitter.com/PLNAq3tKyG — Onze Masr 🇪🇬 (@onzemasr) August 16, 2026 Under the competition's new format, each team plays six different opponents, with three matches at home and three away. The top eight teams advance directly to the round of 16, while clubs finishing between ninth and 24th enter the knockout play-off round. 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