In the working-class Rocafonda neighborhood of Mataro, Spain, the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina carries a deeply personal significance. For residents, this Sunday's match is not merely a championship game but a celebration of one of their own: Lamine Yamal, the 19-year-old Spain forward who has never forgotten where he came from. Main Developments Locals gathered Thursday at the pitch where Yamal honed his skills, buzzing with pride ahead of the final against Lionel Messi's Argentina. "Now that the moment has come when the two of them are going to play against each other, it's incredible," said Keba, an 18-year-old Senegalese resident, referencing Yamal's well-known admiration for Messi. Yamal's grandmother, Fatima Nasraoui, watched from a nearby bench with his 15-year-old cousin Rayan. "I want Spain to win," Nasraoui said, adding she would shout loudly if he scores. "To me, Lamine means many good things, but above all, he's like a brother because we grew up together," Rayan added. Read also: 3 sanctions imposed on Mohammad Nawaz after cannabis doping violation Background Born in Spain to a Moroccan father and a mother from Equatorial Guinea, Yamal has consistently honored his Rocafonda roots. After scoring goals, he makes a trademark "304" hand gesture—a reference to the neighborhood's postal code. During the World Cup, he has worn a headband reading "Rocafonda" and displayed the flags of his parents' home countries on his boots. Messi, now 39, enjoyed the peak years of his career at Barcelona, having come through the club's youth academy. A viral photograph showing the Argentine with a baby Yamal has captured imaginations ahead of the final in New Jersey. Why It Matters For Rocafonda—a multi-ethnic, working-class neighborhood—Yamal's success represents a powerful narrative of integration. He has said football is an example of racial and social integration, and his journey from this pitch to a World Cup final embodies that message for migrants and their families across Spain. What's Next Sunday's final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey will see Yamal face his childhood idol, Messi. For the residents of Rocafonda, the result matters less than the pride of seeing one of their own on the world's biggest stage.