Spain’s World Cup win sparked huge celebrations across the country on Sunday. The loudest cheers came from Rocafonda, the neighborhood where teenage star Lamine Yamal grew up.
Spain beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the World Cup final. Ferran Torres scored the winning goal to hand Spain their second World Cup title.
Fans filled the streets of Rocafonda with Spanish flags. They sang, cheered and celebrated a famous victory. The area is in the coastal city of Mataro, about 30 kilometers north of Barcelona.
Lamine learned to play football on the streets of Rocafonda before rising to become one of Spain’s biggest stars. Many of his family members, including his grandmother and cousin, still live there. Local people continue to see him as one of their own.
The community football ground where Lamine developed his game now features a mural of the young forward. It has become a symbol of hope for many children in the neighborhood.
Lamine has always stayed close to his roots. He often celebrates goals by making the “304” hand sign, a tribute to Rocafonda’s postal code.
During the World Cup, he also wore a headband with “Rocafonda” written on it. His boots carried the flags of Morocco and Equatorial Guinea, the birth countries of his parents. He has often said football brings people from different backgrounds together.
The celebrations were not limited to Rocafonda.
Thousands of fans packed the streets of Madrid after the final whistle. Wearing Spain’s red and yellow colors, supporters sang, danced and chanted “Champions, champions.”
Joy spread across cities and towns throughout Spain as the team lifted the trophy in New York.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez also celebrated the victory. In a post on X, he praised the national team and thanked the players after their World Cup triumph.
Barcelona also joined the celebrations. Fans lit fireworks and gathered on the beaches as they celebrated long into the night.
In Bilbao, police said they identified five people who tried to interrupt the live broadcast of the final on a giant public screen. Despite that incident, celebrations continued across the country as Spain enjoyed another historic night in football.
