Lily Yohannes

Lilian Isabella Yohannes (born June 12, 2007) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Dutch club Ajax of the Vrouwen Eredivisie and the United States national team. Born in the United States, she moved to the Netherlands at age ten.

Early life
Yohannes was born in Springfield, Virginia, to Eritrean Parents. She moved to the Netherlands when she was ten years old after her father accepted a job in Amsterdam. Yohannes played youth soccer in the Netherlands and began training weekly with Ajax when she was 13 years old.

Club career
At age 15, Yohannes signed a three-year professional contract through June 2026 with AFC Ajax. On November 15, 2023, aged 16, she became the youngest player to ever to start a UEFA Women's Champions League group stage match and the youngest American to play in the Champions League. Ajax went on to win 2–0 over Paris Saint-Germain with goals from Tiny Hoekstra at the 34th minute and Sherida Spitse at the first minute of injury time during the first half.

International career
Yohannes trained with the United States youth national team at the under-15 and under-16 level in 2022.

In December 2023, Yohannes attended camp with the Dutch under-19 national team.

In March 2024, at age 16, Yohannes received her first senior United States national team call-up ahead of the 2024 SheBelieves Cup. She became the youngest player to be called in to a senior camp since 16-year-old Sophia Smith in 2017. She made her international debut on June 4, 2024, against South Korea. She entered the game in the 72nd minute and scored her first goal in the 82nd minute. At 16 years and 358 days old, Yohannes became the third-youngest goal scorer in USWNT history. Later that month, she was not selected to the United States roster for the 2024 Summer Olympics.

As of April 2024, Yohannes is applying for Dutch citizenship, which would make her eligible to play for the Dutch national team. She remains able to change national teams because her USWNT debut appearance was in a friendly.

Personal life
Yohannes is of Eritrean descent. Her maternal grandfather, Bokretsion Gebrehiwot, was a member of Eritrea's national soccer team. Her older brother, Aethan, has appeared with the United States' under-15 and under-17 national teams and currently plays college soccer at Wake Forest.

Honors
United States
 * SheBelieves Cup: 2024