Lily Yohannes: From Eritrean Roots to Messi’s Global Stage

When adidas unveiled Messi+10: Season 2, its celebration of the next generation of football visionaries, one name stood out — Lily Yohannes, the 18-year-old midfielder whose story spans continents but whose heart beats with unmistakable Eritrean pride.

Born in Virginia to Eritrean parents and raised in the Netherlands, Yohannes has already lived the kind of journey that defines a new era of football. She began playing with Ajax as a child prodigy, becoming the youngest American ever to start a UEFA Women’s Champions League group-stage match. By 16, she had already drawn the attention of national teams on both sides of the Atlantic.

In 2025, Yohannes signed for Olympique Lyonnais, Europe’s most decorated women’s club. On her debut against Marseille, she not only scored but walked away as Player of the Match — a statement that her rise was no accident.

Now, as part of adidas’s Messi+10: Season 2 lineup, Yohannes joins nine other global prodigies hand-selected by Lionel Messi himself. The campaign celebrates footballers who “see space where others see chaos,” a fitting description for the young playmaker’s composure and vision on the ball.

Yet beyond the spotlight and sponsorships lies a deeper resonance. Yohannes often speaks about the strength and perseverance passed down from her Eritrean family — values that mirror the grit and dignity of a nation that fought for its independence and built from it with resilience. Her maternal grandfather, Bokretsion Gebrehiwot, once represented Ethiopia’s national side during a time when Eritrea’s identity was suppressed. Lily, in many ways, is rewriting that history — this time with the Eritrean flag shining beside her name.

After debuting and scoring for the U.S. Women’s National Team in June 2024 against South Korea, she faced an identity tug-of-war between the Netherlands and the United States. Her final choice to represent the U.S. reflected maturity beyond her age — and the clarity of someone who knows where she’s going, even while honoring where she came from.

For Eritreans around the world, Yohannes is more than a footballer; she’s a reminder of what quiet determination can achieve. In her stride, there’s heritage. In her success, there’s representation. And in her story, there’s a bridge between diaspora and homeland — showing that identity can be both global and proudly Eritrean.

As she steps into Messi’s orbit wearing the new F50 Vis10n boots, Yohannes isn’t just part of the next generation — she’s defining it.