Winning the UEFA Euro a day after his 17th birthday, Lamine Yamal returned to Spain to receive a king’s welcome. Yamal’s heroics at the Euro include a sensational out-of-the-box curling goal against France in the semi-final and an impressive four assists, including one in the final. Thanking the teenager for this elite display, a mammoth crowd of Spanish fans imitated his iconic 304 celebrations. We have seen the youngster pull off this signature celebration in jubilation after netting stellar goals. Well, there is a hidden meaning for Yamal’s cool and classy gesture.

Lamine Yamal is not the one to forget his roots. His celebration is proof of that. It is a subtle nod to the place in Barcelona that nurtured the young footballer in Yamal. Let’s break down the Spanish superstar’s celebration.

What does Lamine Yamal’s celebration mean?

Lamine Yamal crosses his two hands in jubilation by gesturing the number three on one hand and the number four on the other. He pulls off this gesture in a way that his thumb and index finger on one hand are brought together to form a zero, hence completing the number ‘304.’ Why is this number so important for the Spaniards? Well, it is the last three digits of the postal code of Rocafonda in Barcelona- the neighborhood where Yamal grew up and started playing ball as a toddler. 08304 is the postal code of Rocafonda in the Mataro region of Catalonia.

Yamal was born in Esplugues de Llobregat. But his family quickly moved to Rocafonda. Yamal would spend his childhood and a large part of his early Barcelona Youth team days in Rocafonda. When he joined Barca’s La Masia as a seven-year-old, Yamal and his father used to take a 90-minute train ride to the academy from Rocafonda.

The Catalan town is home to a large immigrant population, which explains why Yamal’s Moroccan father and Equatoguinean mother settled there. Though poverty strikes the entire town, soccer is a religion for its people. One could see children playing the game on Rocafonda’s streets with netless goal frames installed in front of graffitied walls.

If you think Yamal is only loyal to Rocafonda, you’re wrong. He wears a bit of his parents’ countries in every other soccer game he plays.

How does Yamal honor his roots, Morocco and Equatorial Guinea?

Having inked a 10-year deal with Adidas this February, Lamine Yamal flaunts a custom-made F50 boot in every game. The interesting highlight of the shoe is that it bears the flags of Morocco-his father’s homeland and Equatorial Guinea-his mother’s country. Notably, both countries vied heavily to secure Yamal’s services for their national teams. However, Yamal, a former Spanish youth team player and a Barcelona prodigy, chose his country of birth while not forgetting his roots.

Besides these flags, Yamal’s F50s also bear the number 34, which again is a nod to Rocafonda’s 304, but without the zero. With Spain’s win against England in Berlin on Saturday, Lamine Yamal became the youngest player to win the UEFA Euros. He also unsurprisingly won the best young player award at the European Cup before returning home.

Now an exciting yet challenging season awaits Yamal at Barcelona. Hopefully, we could see more of those 304 celebrations.