"Code 304": understand the message behind Lamine Yamal's celebration
Lamine Yamal is the Spanish team's main revelation in recent years and is now dreaming of the World Cup title. In addition to his performance on the field, the young man is a symbol of diversity in football. When celebrating his achievements, he makes his traditional gesture with his hands, representing the number 304.
Son of a Moroccan father and a Guinean-Ecuadorian mother, he was born in Esplugues de Llobregat, in the province of Barcelona, but was raised in the small neighborhood of Rocafonda, in the city of Mataró - a place that he carries with him through the celebration that references his origins.
Located 30 kilometers from Ciudad Condal, Rocafonda brings together a humble multicultural and working-class community with a strong history of immigration. The neighborhood became known during the 2024 Euro Cup, when Yamal was just 16 years old, becoming the youngest to participate in the final phase of the competition and scoring the goal that would pave the way for qualification in the semi-finals against France.
The representation, used since the player's youth categories, refers to the last three numerals of the postal code of the Rocafonda neighborhood. The numbers also appear on the young man's boots.
The neighborhood suffers threats from Spanish far-right politicians, who call the place a "place of multicultural manure". Yamal's father has already had complications for defending the place. In May 2023, he attacked a VOX party tent, which was in the region, while calling them "racists". The police were called, Mounir Nasroui was tried and had to pay a fine.
In addition to paying homage to the place where he grew up, Lamine also expresses his faith in celebrations. In his first goal at the World Cup, when he equaled Pelé by becoming the second player aged 18 or under to score the net in a World Cup game, he performed an act full of religious meanings, pointing to the sky and bowing to the ground, touching his forehead, nose, palms, knees and toes.
Typically performed by Muslims, the gesture, known as Sujud or Sajdah, is performed during daily prayers and recognizes the greatness of Allah (God) and shows gratitude to him.
In March, the Spanish national team played a preparatory friendly against Egypt. On this occasion, Spanish fans performed a prejudiced chant, chanting the phrase "whoever doesn't jump is a Muslim".
The day after the match, Yamal made a post on his networks.
"I know it was against the rival team and it wasn't personal against me, but, as a Muslim person, this is still a lack of respect and something intolerable", said the player.
Lamine still repudiates the act of using religion as a form of provocation.
"I understand that not all fans are like this, but to those who sing these things: using a religion as a provocation on the field makes you ignorant and racist people. Football is to enjoy and encourage, not to disrespect people for who they are or what they believe in", he concluded.
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Source: CNN