Lamine Yamal’s 304 goal salute began with advice from a boyhood friend

Lamine Yamal’s trademark 304 celebration was first suggested by his childhood friend Sohaib during the Barcelona forward’s youth football days, with the gesture later becoming a tribute to their Rocafonda neighbourhood.

Yamal has started the current season in outstanding form, underlining his return to the high level of performance he has produced for Barcelona. The teenager was unable to show his full potential during the 2026 World Cup, but has once again made a strong impression at club level.

Away from football, Yamal continues to surround himself with a close group of people. That includes his parents, Mounir Nasraoui and Sheila Ebana, his new girlfriend Ines Garcia, his cousin Mohammed Abd, and Sohaib, his closest friend since childhood.

Sohaib discussed their relationship during an appearance on the Mediaset programme TardeAR, presented by journalist Ana Rosa Quintana. His comments were reported by Spanish newspaper Sport, which highlighted the way Yamal behaves away from the spotlight.

“Whenever we have the chance, we are together. He is like my brother,” Sohaib said.

He explained that the pair had known each other since they were children and that their friendship began in one of Rocafonda’s parks.

“He has been playing football since he was six, and it was clear what he had. I told him that, if he wanted to, he could become the best player in the world, but he had to know that,” he added.

Sohaib also said Yamal’s success had not changed the Barcelona player’s personality or the way he treated those around him.

The Spain international, who wears Barcelona’s number 10 shirt, often celebrates goals by forming the number 304 with his hands. The number is a tribute to Rocafonda, representing the final three digits of the district’s postcode.

According to Sohaib, the celebration was his idea. He recalled that the suggestion came during a youth Copa del Rey match, when the two friends were together in the neighbourhood.

“It was a youth Copa del Rey match. We were in the neighbourhood, and he wanted to prove himself. Then I told him to do the 304 gesture, because we always say that number. He liked the gesture and has kept it ever since,” Sohaib said.

The celebration has since become closely associated with Yamal, allowing the Barcelona forward to acknowledge his roots whenever he scores. It also reflects the continuing influence of the people who knew him before he became one of world football’s most recognised young players.

Despite his rapid rise and growing status at Barcelona, Sohaib insists Yamal remains the same person he knew as a child in Rocafonda. Their friendship, he said, has continued alongside the forward’s development from a six-year-old playing in local parks to a leading figure for Barcelona.