Deeper meaning behind Lamine Yamal's '304' celebration as he makes on pitch hand gesture
Teenage footballing sensation Lamine Yamal will be back on TV tonight as he looks to book his Spanish side a place in the FIFA World Cup semi-finals for the first time since they won it in 2010.
In his quarter-final firing line are the Belgians, made up of veterans like Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne and Thibaut Courtois, and tricky technicians like Jérémy Doku and Youri Tielemans.
Should that wicked left foot of his nestle the ball in the back of the net at some point - the odds are pretty high, since his goal tally has been lacking this tournament - viewers will no doubt witness Yamal's trademark celebration.
When he scores for club (Barcelona) or country, the youngster crosses his hands before manipulating his fingers in a specific gesture to spell the number '304'.
Advert
But what is the deeper meaning behind this?
It's quite simple really: these are the final three digits belonging to Yamal's childhood postcode in the Rocafonda neighbourhood.
08304 is the postcode in full - found in the Mataró region of Catalonia.
Yamal, who's been nursing a minor injury throughout this summer's World Cup, was actually born in Esplugues de Llobregat, but his family moved to Rocafonda shortly afterwards.
Rocafonda is a 90-minute train journey away from Barcelona's illustrious youth academy, La Masia, where Yamal honed his unstoppable craft from age seven.
Personal tributes on the pitch don't end with the '304' though, because the world-beating winger (birth name Lamine Yamal Nasraoui Ebana) gives a shoutout to his parents every time he laces up a pair of shoes.
Mounir Nasraoui, his dad, originates from Morocco, while mum Sheila Ebana comes from Equatorial Guinea.
Yamal's custom-made F50 Adidas football boots are not only decorated with the number '34', they're also emblazoned with the flags of both Morocco and Equatorial Guinea.
Meanwhile, this time last year, the sporting superstar made all the wrong headlines when the Spanish government demanded an investigation into his 18th birthday party.
Yamal threw a lavish party attended by fellow players, models and rappers, allegedly paying 'women with certain breast sizes' and people with dwarfism to swing by his mafia-themed event.
After hearing about it, government officials condemned the shindig and asked for a probe to be launched.
The Association of People with Achondroplasia and Other Skeletal Dysplasias with Dwarfism (ADEE), also jumped on the case and even threatened legal action.
"The ADEE, a member organisation of the Spanish Confederation of People with Physical and Organic Disabilities (COCEMFE), condemns and publicly denounces the hiring of people with dwarfism as part of the entertainment at the recent 18th birthday party of soccer player Lamine Yamal," a statement read.
"The Association announces that it will take legal and social action to safeguard the dignity of people with disabilities, considering that these actions violate not only current legislation but also the fundamental ethical values of a society that seeks to be egalitarian and respectful."
Dan Seddon