Spain's boy wonder Yamal is 'a mirror for our children'

Juan Carlos Serrano points at a corner of his bar in Mataro, Spain. 

"This is the pride of the neighborhood," says Serrano. 

A framed football jersey hangs from the wall. Maradona? Pele? Messi? 

No, Lamine Yamal.  The 17-year-old Barcelona forward has stunned fans with his performances at the European Championships (Euros) in Germany. He produced a wonder goal in the semi-final against France on Tuesday, sparking speculation that he may be the game's next superstar. 

That goal made him the youngest scorer in tournament history.  He's also the youngest player to score a goal for Spain. 

But that's not why Serrano keeps the jersey on his wall. Yamal grew up in Rocafonda, one of the poorest neighborhoods in Mataro. Serrano would give free coffee to Yamal's father, Mounir Nasraoui, so he could save up to send the boy to Barcelona's training academy. 

"Lamine is the perfect example of a kid who's worked hard, who's been a good student," says Serrano. "For this reason, he is a mirror for our children." 

'That goal was not only a goal'

Some of Spain's right-wing politicians have described Rocafonda as a "multi-cultural hole". But Yamal is not ashamed of his roots, marking each of his goals with the '304' gesture - a reference to Rocafonda's postcode. 

"My son has fought for a dream," says Nasraoui, "and he has had the opportunity to achieve that dream." Nasraoui was born in Morocco, while Yamal's mother hails from Equatorial Guinea. The teenage sensation has taken center stage as Spain's government grapples with its migration policy. 

The far-right Vox party announced on Thursday it would withdraw from coalitions in five of the country's regional governments. Vox is refusing to accept a plan to send a group of under-18 migrants from the Canary Islands to the mainland. Leader Santiago Abascal posted on X: "Do not count on us to scam, loot and endanger Spaniards."

But Rocafonda's residents say their hero is sending a message to the far-right, without even saying a word.    

"Lamine Yamal's goal in the semis was not only a goal," says Sufian, whose parents were born in Morocco. "He also sent the message that racism is over and that we are all the same."

'We are very lucky that he is Spanish'

Yamal is not the first football star born of migrant parents. He's also not the first to play for a country where he's not always welcome. French striker Kylian Mbappé spoke out against the far-right National Rally during the Euros, saying "We cannot leave our country in the hands of these people - it is really urgent." 

Yamal has made his own political statement, simply by stepping on the pitch. That statement may ring loudest on Sunday, when Spain face England in the Euros final. 

"We have seen genius from a genius," said Spain coach Luis De la Fuente at a press conference this week. "We are very lucky that he is Spanish."

Tonight, Spain is Yamal. And Yamal is Spain. 

Serrano is confident the teenager will make his mark at the Olympiastadion in Berlin. "It's during these big games that the best players show themselves," says Serrano. "And we are going to see Lamine.”

But whatever happens, Serrano's bar will look the same - the Lamine Yamal jersey spread proudly across the wall, reminding each of Rocafonda's children that when they look in the mirror, they see a star. 

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